KINGSTON, R.I. – Oct. 15, 2026 – The surroundings will be much different this year, but the Office of Student Involvement promises to deliver another fun-filled Family Weekend for University of Rhode Island students and families.

With Meade Stadium undergoing renovations, Family Weekend – scheduled Oct. 23 to 25 – will shift gears to Centreville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket, the temporary home for URI football in 2026. While there are still plenty of events scheduled on and around campus, the main attraction will kick off approximately 45 miles north of Kingston at noon on Oct. 24 when URI hosts the University of Albany, followed by Family Weekend’s other signature event, the annual showcase at the Ryan Center. This year’s headliner is comedian John Mulaney, who continues his Mister Whatever Tour at 8 p.m.

The change in venue this year for URI football, which typically brings tailgating, food, and fun outside Meade Stadium, gave Student Involvement coordinator Lucas DeWitt and his team the opportunity to be more creative with event programming.

“Football is a driving factor,” DeWitt said, “but there are so many wonderful events outside of the ones our office hosts for families visiting campus.”

New Family Weekend additions for 2026 include:

• The Wakefield Village Association Halloween Stroll on Oct. 24, which adjusted its original schedule to line up with Family Weekend. The event is held annually on Main Street in Wakefield featuring a costume parade, trick-or-treating at downtown small businesses, a costume contest, face painting, lawn games, a bounce house, and seasonal treats.
• Music Bingo Night on Oct. 23 at the Ryan Center, featuring prizes for those who complete their entire bingo card.
• A special Stuff-A-Ram Brunch on Sunday, Oct. 25, at the Rams Den in the Memorial Union. The event sold out so quickly that DeWitt said he will likely increase the capacity in 2027.
• A free football viewing party in the Rams Den on Oct. 24 for those not making the trip to Pawtucket, with the game displayed on the venue’s new video wall.

This year also provided families the opportunity to pre-register and purchase a special swag package that includes a reversible bucket hat and T-shirt with this year’s unique Family Weekend logo. With the game off campus, Student Involvement also offered a charter bus registration package to provide families transportation to and from Pawtucket. DeWitt said close to 2,000 people have pre-registered for the weekend.

“Not everyone will be on campus at the same time,” he said, “but, for us, it’s nice to see that even during this unique year, there is excitement around the weekend as families reconnect with their students.”

Family Weekend used to be held in conjunction with URI Homecoming, but the two events separated in 2023 to allow more members of the Rhody community to participate. The split allowed the Family Weekend planning committee to tailor its programming toward its core audience of students, parents, and supporters.

“Each weekend is unique and has different target audiences and events and programs that make them special,” DeWitt said. “For Family Weekend, I have seen immense growth in the past few years in the programs we offer and the overall planning leading up to the weekend. Each year, I know Family Weekend is going to be a popular weekend to welcome new families to campus and reconnect with families we have seen in the past. Family Weekend will always be one of my favorite times of the year because of the level of connection it brings.”

A full list of events is available on the official Family Weekend website. The festivities begin with a soft launch on the Thursday, Oct. 22, with a special pint night at Tower Hill Brewing Company – a URI alumni-owned business – in South Kingstown. In addition, a Family Weekend edition of Rams After Dark will take place in the Rams Den from 9 to 11 p.m. featuring speed trivia.

Families begin checking in the morning of Oct. 23 with a full slate of events scheduled over the next three days, including Friday’s Legacy Dinner and Pinning Ceremony hosted by the URI Foundation at the Higgins Welcome Center and a URI Theatre production of “Proof” at the Fine Arts Center from Friday through Sunday. Families can also skate for free on Friday night from 9:30 to 11:20 p.m. at the Boss Ice Arena.

After the team celebrates the results of a planning process that began in April, DeWitt said they will be back at it and are likely to begin laying the foundation for 2027’s return to Kingston before the end of this semester.

“We’ll be looking to get feedback from anyone that attended Family Weekend so we can make informed decisions as we go into planning for next year,” DeWitt said. “I already have some ideas for how we can do things a little differently next year, but a lot of the core elements will stay the same.”

Michael Parente, director of communications and marketing in the URI Division of Student Affairs, wrote this news release.