Family Weekend Schedule

Saturday, September 20, 2025

Family Weekend Scavenger Hunt

Participate in this ISU-themed scavenger hunt to learn more about ISU, make memories, and have a chance to win a prize! Scavenger hunt opens Friday, September 19 at 8 a.m. and closes Sunday, September 21 at 10 p.m.

9:30 - 10:30 a.m.: OC101: An Orientation to Living Off-Campus - Old Main Room, Bone Student Center

Location. Rent. Safety. Leases. There is a lot to think about when your student moves off-campus. Staff from the Dean of Students Office will provide an overview of the rental search and lease process as well as information about living off-campus. This information is extremely helpful to have before your student signs a lease.

10 a.m. - Noon: Parent and Family Services Photo Station - Turner East Lawn (South of Hancock Stadium)

Have any questions about your student’s Illinois State experience? Want to meet the staff from the Dean of Students office who help you when you call Parent and Family Services? Stop by the Parent and Family Services Open House tent before the game. While at the tent, be sure to gather your group for a photo to commemorate Family Weekend.

10 a.m. - Noon: Zero Waste Tailgate - Turner Lawn (South of Hancock Stadium)

Join the Office of Sustainability in celebration of Family Weekend! The Zero Waste crew provides free drinks as well as vegan and vegetarian food options to students, families, and fans. Enjoy yard games, prizes, and an opportunity to learn more about sustainability at ISU…all while backing the Birds!

11 a.m. - Noon: University Galleries - Uptown Station at 11 Uptown Circle, Suite 103

Sensory-friendly exhibition viewing for "Jen Bervin: Shift Rotate Reflect". The exhibit features installations, embroideries, prints, artist’s books, and videos created by poet and artist Jen Bervin. The selected works demonstrate the interdisciplinary range of Bervin’s long-term research on topics including legacies of women artists and writers, relationships between text and textiles, and abstractions of language and landscape.

This event is free and open to the public. This sensory-friendly hour features dimmed lighting and lowered video volumes. 

Noon: Redbird Football vs North Alabama - Hancock Stadium (Ticket required)

Cheer on the Redbird football team as they play North Alabama at 12:00 p.m. Families wishing to sit with students should purchase west-side general admission tickets. For this game, general admission and student sections will be merged to allow families to sit together.

Single game tickets and parking permits are on sale at GoRedbirds.com/tickets. Tailgating passes are SOLD OUT. An additional tailgating lot, F43, will open five hours before kickoff. Spaces in this lot will be available for purchase day-of-game only for $10 cash. Space is limited. For more information on available parking during Family Weekend, or to view other parking locations on campus, contact the Office of Parking and Transportation. Please be sure to follow all regulations for athletic tailgating events.

If your student is a Red Alert member, they just need to swipe their student ID at any gate to Hancock Stadium to receive admission to the game. Red Alert members do not need to claim a ticket ahead of time. For non-Red Alert members, single-game student tickets to regular-season football games are $10. Students must purchase that ticket directly because they are required to provide their student ID number. Students may purchase tickets online at GoRedbirds.com/students or in person at the Hancock Stadium Ticket Office, starting at 9 a.m. on the Monday before the game. Students will need to show a Redbird card to purchase a student ticket, and each student is limited to 1 student ticket. It is highly recommended to purchase your ticket prior to game day to avoid long waiting lines.

Noon - 4 p.m.: University Galleries - Uptown Station at 11 Uptown Circle, Suite 103

Exhibition viewing for "Jen Bervin: Shift Rotate Reflect". The exhibit features installations, embroideries, prints, artist’s books, and videos created by poet and artist Jen Bervin. The selected works demonstrate the interdisciplinary range of Bervin’s long-term research on topics including legacies of women artists and writers, relationships between text and textiles, and abstractions of language and landscape. This event is free and open to the public.

1 - 2:30 p.m.: Art Making Workshop - University Galleries, Uptown Station at 11 Uptown Circle, Suite 103 (Registration required)

Participants will engage in a short guided tour of Jen Bervin's solo exhibition before creating pinhole drawings inspired by one of the artworks. All materials and instruction provided. Free; registration required due to limited spacing. All ages welcome. To attend, complete the Art Making Workshop registration form.

4 p.m.: Dinner & Dueling Pianos - Brown Ballroom, Bone Student Center (Ticket required)

Dueling Pianos is a fun, interactive evening of entertainment featuring the dueling piano talents of Cool 2 Duel. This musical comedy experience will have you singing along to favorites from classic rock to country, hard rock to R&B, oldies, and show tunes to the newest Top 40 hits. You provide the direction for the show by requesting your favorite songs and then watch how these two sharp-witted, incredibly talented musicians perform your requests. Tickets are $40 per person and include the show as well as a taco/nacho bar and dessert. Cash bar available. General admission seating. Doors open at 3:30 p.m. This event is not intended for young children. Tickets are now available to purchase at the Braden Box Office, located in the Bone Student Center, 200 N. University St. in Normal, and at Ticketmaster.com.

7 p.m.: Comedian Ryan Hamilton - Braden Auditorium, Bone Student Center (Ticket required)

Armed with the unique perspective of growing up in rural Idaho to become a favorite in the New York stand-up comedy scene, Ryan Hamilton is one-of-a-kind. He’s been named one of Rolling Stone’s Five Comics to Watch, and recent appearances include The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and opening spots for Jerry Seinfeld as well as Gad Elmaleh at Carnegie Hall. Ryan is endearing stand-up lovers, and his future is bright. In addition to regular television appearances and a non-stop headlining tour, you can watch his first stand-up special, the one-hour original Happy Face , on Netflix.

Tickets are now available to purchase at the Braden Box Office, located in the Bone Student Center, 200 N. University St. in Normal, and at Ticketmaster.com.

7:30 p.m.: Dinner & Dueling Pianos - Brown Ballroom, Bone Student Center (Ticket required)

Dueling Pianos is a fun, interactive evening of entertainment featuring the dueling piano talents of Cool 2 Duel. This musical comedy experience will have you singing along to favorites from classic rock to country, hard rock to R&B, oldies, and show tunes to the newest Top 40 hits. You provide the direction for the show by requesting your favorite songs and then watch how these two sharp-witted, incredibly talented musicians perform your requests. Tickets are $40 per person and include the show as well as a taco/nacho bar and dessert. Cash bar available. General admission seating. Doors open at 7 p.m. This event is not intended for young children. Tickets are now available to purchase at the Braden Box Office, located in the Bone Student Center, 200 N. University St. in Normal, and at Ticketmaster.com.