Start planning your visit! See below for campus-wide activities that are available throughout the weekend.
Registration opens September 23. Take advantage of reduced pricing by registering before October 21. Registration closes October 28.
Check-in at Gaucho Family Headquarters to receive your all-access passes and event tickets. We'll also be here to answer questions and help plan your day. Located inside the University Center (UCen) Lobby.
Friday 10:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Saturday 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Markets & Eateries
Pop into one of our retail dining units during the weekend! At our on-campus cafes, eateries and markets Campus Dining strives to offer value, convenience and delicious culinary options that reflect the cultural diversity and dietary needs of our guests in a welcoming atmosphere.
Visit the Markets & Eateries website for locations and hours of operation.
Dining Commons
Share a meal with your student during the weekend at one of our four self-operated, award-winning dining commons that provide a comfortable setting to enhance the living and learning experience. Visitor meals will be offered at $14/adult, $10/child, from credit card machines at the lobby desks in each dining common.
Visit the Campus Dining website for locations and hours of operation.
Parents are welcome to visit the Residence Halls during the weekend! Coordinate a location to meet up with your student to get a tour of their residence.
Visit the Housing, Dining & Auxiliary Enterprises website for more info.
The UCSB Campus Store has a large selection of UCSB apparel and gifts, school supplies, and more. Store hours are:
Friday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Saturday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Closed on Sunday
Shop online at the UCSB Campus Store.
Registered families of Parents & Family Weekend receive FREE admission to the Rec Cen on Friday & Saturday, November 1 & 2. Guests must be 18 years or older to participate. Show your name badge at the front desk for access.
Rec Cen Hours:
Friday 6:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Saturday 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Climb one of the largest imprint rock walls on the West Coast. UCSB's 30-foot imprint climbing wall has natural features built-in, making it look and feel more like real rock! Equipment and training are provided. There is no age limit to climb, however it is requested that children under the age of 18 be accompanied by an adult.
Friday & Saturday 11:30 AM - 8:30 PM
Located in the MAC (Multi Activity Center) at the Rec Cen.
Adults: $8/per person (Cash or Check preferred), UCSB Students: FREE
Create lasting memories while discovering the coastal gem of Goleta, California, where golden sands meet the Pacific Ocean. Savor exquisite cuisine, wine-tasting delights and a vibrant culture. From outdoor thrills to tranquil escapes, Goleta the Goodland has it all.
TIP: Remember to schedule time to spend with your Gaucho! Go to the beach together or share a meal, whatever it is, document the moment and share it on social media using #UCSBPFW.
Self-Guided Tours
Follow this self-guided tour around the campus lagoon and learn about the natural history and current management of this coastal resource. Habitat restoration for wildfire and water quality will be reviewed as you leisurely walk the 1.5-mile loop around the lagoon.
Print a copy of the Lagoon Walking Tour or view the tour on the campus map.
Throughout history and around the globe, humans have gathered resources from plants. This tour highlights 10 plant species that provide us with food, medicine and folklore.
Print a copy of the Ethnobotanical Walking Tour or view the tour on the campus map.
UCSB is home to plants from six of the seven continents on Earth. A few species are unique to campus and are not found anywhere else in Santa Barbara County. This tour takes you on an hour-long loop through some of the most unique and prized tree specimens on the campus.
Print a copy of the Exotica Flora Walking Tour or view the tour on the campus map.
UCSB is home to over 25 interesting palm species. This tour provides an opportunity to see eleven palms that provide a distinctive element in the landscape of the campus.
Print a copy of the Palm Walking Tour or view the tour on the campus map.
The reserve is an excellent place to see unique wildlife and habitats. Explore these habitats along a two-mile loop trail or visit smaller sections at a time. Along this trail you’ll find 19 interpretive signs with associated downloadable podcasts that provide additional information.
Directions/Parking:
From the 101: Exit Glen Annie/Storke and turn onto Storke towards the ocean. Take Storke until it hits El Colegio. At this point, Storke turns into Slough Road- but you have to stay to the right of Storke Rd to enter Slough Rd. Continue straight on Slough Rd. At the end of Slough Road there are UCSB parking lots where you can purchase a day use permit.
Campus-Wide Activities
Check out the Fall exhibits at our Campus Library. Visit the UCSB Library Event & Exhibitions website for more information and specific exhibit hours.
Be sure to stop by and explore the various exhibits on display. Visit the Art, Design & Architecture Museum website for more information or explore the online exhibitions.
Friday 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Saturday 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
In 13 Tongues, Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan brings the sights and sounds of Taiwan’s legendary night markets to life in all their human and spiritual dimensions. Mixing traditional storytelling with futuristic imagery and shifting between folk, classical and electronic music sources, 13 Tongues delivers an unforgettable experience of contemporary dance at its most innovative and spectacular. Drawing on childhood memories of a famous street performer from 1980s Taipei, Artistic Director Cheng Tsung-lung and the Cloud Gate dancers weave a brilliant tapestry of ancient and modern images set to a dazzling range of musical idioms.
Saturday, November 2, 2024
The Granada Theatre | Downtown Santa Barbara
7:30 PM - 9:00 PM
Cost: $48.50 - $108.50 or $20/UCSB Student [current student ID required]
Tickets are available now.
#UCSBPFW
Share your Gaucho Family experience on social media!
Questions About Parents & Family Weekend?
Contact us at (805) 893-7382 or email Parent@ia.ucsb.edu.
This event will be photographed and/or recorded. By entering this space, you agree and grant irrevocable permission to have your likeness, image, voice, and appearance photographed and recorded for any University business-related purpose and used as embodied in UC Regents Product[s] whether recorded on or transferred to videotape, film, slides, photographs, audiotapes or other media, now known or later developed, and to be included in various University marketing, outreach, or news campaigns.