After several months of getting adjusted to campus, my first Family Weekend is here! Family Weekend is when parents, guardians, loved ones or friends of current students are invited to come down to DC for the weekend, catch up and get to see your new home! This Family Weekend is also double exciting because it falls on my birthday — everyone say “Happy Birthday, Sydney!”
It can be tough to showcase your entire college experience into two days for your friends and family, so I’ve decided to let you in on where I plan to take my family when they come up to see me!
On Campus
Check out Yates Gym
For many, my dad included, working out seems to be a love language. If you’ve been needing a workout buddy, you can bring up to three guests to Yates for $10 with a valid Georgetown ID. Not only can you work out on traditional machines, but Yates also offers courts for pickleball, basketball, racquetball, golf and even ping pong tables!
Attend a Spiritual Service
One of the great things about college is being able to develop a religious identity outside of your family. However, if you’ve been craving spiritual time with your family, Campus Ministry has you covered!
Throughout the course of Family Weekend, Campus Ministry will be hosting Shabbat, Catholic Mass, a Jum’ah Salah service, and Buddhist, Sikh, Protestant and Arati gatherings. For a full list of offerings, visit the Campus Ministry website or check recent newsletters from your residential ministers!
Give Your Family a Tour
As Georgetown students, we all have a little part of us that enjoys knowing more about things than others. Well, this weekend is your chance to show your visitors around Georgetown and tell them all about the fun facts you’ve learned — or stole from your Blue and Gray tour. My favorite spots to show family are Healy Hall and the Bioethics Research Library, Dahlgren Chapel, the Village A rooftops, Cooper Field and the Intercultural Center.
In Georgetown
Go Get Food
This seems obvious, but Georgetown has some really great food from all over the globe to try out. Of course there are institutions like The Tombs and Clyde’s, but there are also tons of other spots to eat. My go-tos are Il Canale (Italian), Call Your Mother (coffee and bagels), Curry N Pie (Pizza/Indian), Los Cuates (Mexican) and, of course, Thomas Sweet for dessert!
Get a Famous Cupcake
Given that Georgetown’s top exports are Hillterns and cupcakes, it only makes sense to go grab some cupcakes with your family. From Baked & Wired to Sprinkles and the Georgetown Cupcakes, there are lots of great options —and potential cupcake debates — on M Street alone!
Check Out the Waterfront
Georgetown’s waterfront is an awesome place to take your family, especially if they don’t live near any bodies of water. You can hit up any of the many restaurants along the waterfront, rent kayaks or paddleboards from the Key Bridge Boathouse or just watch the sunset together!
Browse Houses
One of my most hated pastimes as a kid was when my mom would drive around looking at houses. I now realize that that was partially to give herself a break by having all four of us physically restrained in car seats, but I also now really enjoy looking at houses too. Just walking along O or P street is a super fun time to look at all the historic homes in Georgetown and discover the history behind them. If you really want to be dialed in, walk to Rose Park to see more homes and a different part of Georgetown.
In DC
Bike or Run the Rock Creek Trail
If you want to be able to see the city while not feeling like you’re in a bustling city, put on your running shoes or rent some bikes from Capital Bikeshare and explore the Rock Creek Trail! You can get on the trail just past campus in Rose Park, and the trail can take you to different parts of DC like Foggy Bottom, Adams Morgan, Dupont Circle and Columbia Heights.
Go Visit the Monuments and Museums
Is it cliché? Yes. However, it’s cliché for a reason! The monuments are some of DC’s coolest sights, and no matter which one you choose, you can’t go wrong. Most DC museums are open on the weekends as well. You can check out the classic options like the Smithsonians and the International Spy Museum, or visit newer museums like Planet Word and the Museum of Illusions.
Attend a Sporting Event
DC has no shortage of sports teams, and plenty of them are playing during Family Weekend! The Capitals have their season opener, and both the Wizards) and Spirit have home games! If going into DC doesn’t fit your schedule, cheer on your Hoyas in field hockey, women’s soccer and swimming!
I’m super excited for my first Family Weekend and the opportunity to show my family around DC. No matter whether you have loved ones coming in or not, I hope you’ll take my suggestions to break the Georgetown bubble and try new things. Hoya Saxa!