Family Weekend

2026 FAMILY WEEKEND/REGATTA SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Customize your own Family Weekend adventure

Welcome to IU Indianapolis’s 11th Annual Family Weekend and 18th Annual Regatta! We are excited your family chose to join us. Explore campus together and let your student take the lead in showing you what life is like at IU Indianapolis. This year, we’re offering an itinerary of activities both on- and off-campus so you’re free to pick and choose based on interest.

No registration is required. Off-campus locations may require point-of-sale tickets. Check individual websites for pricing and hours.

A family smiling at Regatta.
A student smiling in front of their family at Regatta.
A man eating a s'more.

Friday, Sept. 25

S'mores and Oars
7–9 p.m. • Campus Outdoor Recreation Facility (CROF)

Housing and Residence Life will have the fire going, marshmallows roasting, and the
essentials to make the perfect s'more. Enjoy your marshmallow and chocolate creation while painting oars, taking on the inflatables, and playing family reunion-style games.

 

Saturday, Sept. 26

IU Indianapolis Regatta (FREE)
10 a.m.–4 p.m. • Military Park and Indianapolis canal

This is not just a day of canoe races, but an IU Indianapolis tradition filled with
entertainment for everyone! The event will have all of Regatta’s most-loved activities
which include festival rides, family-friendly games, the dog costume contest, and
performances by IU Indianapolis’s renowned student dance groups.

 

A student smiling with their family at Regatta.

Indy Eleven vs. Miami FC
7 p.m. • Carroll Stadium

Come cheer on Indianapolis’ pro soccer team, Indy Eleven, as they face Miami FC.
Tickets can be purchased in advance.

The Indy Eleven playing a soccer match.
A woman eating breakfast at the Family Weekend Breakfast.

Sunday, Sept. 27

Family Breakfast
9–11 a.m. • Tower Dining

Grab breakfast with your student while recapping the weekend’s events. Students can use their meal plan and guests can join; credit/debit card and Apple Pay only.

Throughout the weekend

Family Walking Tour
Sept. 25–27  Self-guided

Stroll with your family around the IU Indianapolis campus and Indianapolis community to see academic buildings, recreational facilities, White River State Park, the downtown canal, and much more!

Healthy IU paths
To find the paths, access the IU Indianapolis campus map. From there, scroll under “Locations” and click “Healthy IU Walking Paths” to view the indoor and outdoor walking trails in the area.

Sunlight on the Seafloor
Sept. 25–27
Open during building hours • Sidney & Lois Eskenazi Hall Rooms HR104, 106, 108

Take a break by visiting the Sunlight on the Seafloor exhibit at Herron School of Art and Design. Featuring twelve international artists, this exhibit explores colonialism, militarization, migration, and displacement across islands. Walk through at your own pace to explore how creativity can reveal and reclaim histories that have been erased.

ZooBoo
Sept. 25–27
2 p.m.–close • Indianapolis Zoo

Embrace the creepy and crawly at the zoo’s annual Halloween festivities. See more information on events and purchasing tickets. Tickets can also be purchased in person.

IMAX Movie
Sept. 25–27
Various times • Indiana State Museum IMAX Theatre

Seeing a movie is closer than you think! Catch a film on the state’s only 70mm screen this weekend. See listings and buy tickets.

Consejo Grafico Nacional: Latino Printmakers in the United States
Sept. 25–27
Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art

This exhibit features the Consejo Grafico Nacional, a coalition founded with the mission of advancing the capacity and legacy of Latino printmakers in the United States. Promoting critical and cultural activism in Contemporary Art, this display of collaborative projects, exhibitions, and educational outreach is sure to educate and enlighten. Browse this exhibit and others, and purchase tickets.