2024 Schedule of Events
Please note that all of the events listed below are subject to change. Be sure to check this page regularly and join the official UL Lafayette Parent & Family Facebook Group for schedule updates and other important announcements.
*Denotes event with required registration/tickets. View our FAQ page for additional information about Family Weekend.
Friday, September 20
Explore the UL Lafayette Science Museum & Planetarium
9:00 AM–5:00 PM | 433 Jefferson Street
Located in the heart of downtown, the UL Lafayette Science Museum is a playful portal into a vast universe of discovery. The museum offers a fun, hands-on experience for curious minds of all ages. The museums exhibits and installations are designed to enlighten and educate. Visit the UL Lafayette Science Museum to learn something new - and have fun in the process!
Students receive free admission to the museum year-round with their Cajun Card. During Family Weekend, parents and family members can visit the museum for only $5 per ticket (plus processing fees). To receive the Family Weekend discount, your student must present their Cajun Card at the door. Limited to 4 discounted tickets per UL Lafayette student.
Visit the Hilliard Art Museum
9:00 AM–5:00 PM | 710 East St. Mary Blvd.
Mention "Family Weekend" at the door for FREE admission into our university art museum. The museum features at least 4 exhibitions each season that showcase regional, national, and international artists. Learn more about the Hilliard online here.
2024 Juried Alumni Art Exhibition
9:00 AM–5:00 PM | Fletcher Hall Gallery, room 207
As part of the College of the Arts at UL Lafayette's 30th anniversary celebration, we are hosting a special Alumni Exhibition in Fall 2024. Alumni were encouraged to submit their artwork for consideration in this juried exhibition. The selection process was overseen by Bradley Sumrall, Curator of the Collection at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art in New Orleans. The exhibition showcases works from alumni across different decades and various art mediums. The exhibition is being held in the Fletcher Hall Gallery, located on the 2nd floor of Fletcher Hall and is open through November 8th.
Drive-Through Family Weekend Headquarters
12:30 PM–5:00 PM | Alumni Center (600 E. St. Mary Blvd.)
Stop by our convenient drive-through-style Family Weekend Headquarters location to pick up your pre-ordered Family Weekend t-shirts, ask questions, and drop off your donations for the Family Weekend Service Project. We invite you to donate gently-used professional clothing items, nonperishable food items, and personal hygiene products to benefit our on-campus Career Closet and Campus Cupboard.
To access the Family Weekend Headquarters, drive to the Alumni Center, located at 600 E. St. Mary Blvd. Enter the semi-circle driveway from St. Mary Blvd. One of our volunteers will meet you at your vehicle to assist you.
Family Weekend Service Project
1:00 PM–5:00 PM | Alumni Center (600 E. St. Mary Blvd.)
Service is a key Ragin' Cajun value, therefore all Family Weekend attendees are invited to participate in the Family Weekend Service Project! The 2024 Service Project will benefit the UL Lafayette Career Closet and Campus Cupboard. Participation is simple. During Family Weekend, we invite you to donate gently used professional clothing, nonperishable food items, and/or personal hygiene products at the designated drive-through drop-off location. Your donations will directly benefit UL Lafayette students!
Meet the Dean of B.I. Moody College of Business
1:00 PM–2:00 PM | Moody Hall, Room 226
The Dean of the Moody College of Business invites students and their families to Meet the Dean! Stop by Moody Hall room 226, between 1:00 and 2:00 PM to meet and mingle with Dean Linda Nichols. You won’t want to miss this opportunity to connect with the leader of your student’s academic college!
Nursing Simulation Lab Spotlight
1:00 PM–3:00 PM | Wharton Hall, 2nd floor
Join the College of Nursing & Health Sciences for exclusive tours of their Simulation Labs! During your tour, you'll have the opportunity to view the labs and learn more about how the simulation experience enhances your nursing student's education. Stop by any time between 1:00 and 3:00 PM for a tour.
The internationally accredited Nursing Simulation Program features five simulation labs. The labs contain state-of-the-art technology which allows for course-embedded opportunities for students to learn best practices in managing care of newborns, children, pregnant women, and acute and chronically ill adults.
UL LIFE Family Weekend Social*
3:00 PM–5:00 PM | Randolph Hall, 2nd floor
Registration is required, please RSVP online here.
UL LIFE is UL Lafayette's inclusive post-secondary education program for students with intellectual disabilities. Join UL LIFE for an afternoon of socialization to meet fellow students, mentors, and their families! All LIFE students' and LIFE mentors' family and friends are welcome. We look forward to seeing you there!
Not a UL LIFE student or mentor? Check out our website to learn more about the UL LIFE Program or how to become a mentor!
Athletic Facility Tours*
5:00 PM–6:00 PM | Bourgeois Hall (225 Cajundome Blvd)
Registration is required, please RSVP online here.
Enjoy an opportunity to take an exclusive tour of UL Lafayette Athletics’ state-of-the-art facilities! This is your chance to get an inside look at the resources available to our Division One athletes. Take full advantage of this opportunity to see how these top-tier facilities contribute to the success of our Ragin' Cajuns. Whether you’re a prospective student-athlete, a fan, or just curious about the inner workings of our athletic program, this tour will showcase how we support our athletes in achieving their best.
Ragin' Cajun Athletics is excited to offer two tour opportunities of our state-of-the-art facilities:
- Tour Time 1: 5:00 PM
- Tour Time 2: 5:30 PM
When registering, please choose the time that best fits your schedule. Note that the event has limited capacity, so be sure to secure your spot early. We look forward to showcasing the premier facilities that help our athletes excel!
Family Game Night*
5:00 PM–7:00 PM | Bourgeois Hall (225 Cajundome Blvd)
*Registration is required, registration is now closed.
Join our University Administration and the Family Weekend Committee for Family Game Night at Bourgeois Hall! Families will have the opportunity to swim, play and/or compete in a variety of games and enjoy a selection of pizza and game night appetizers & desserts. Admission is free of charge and refreshments are complimentary. This will be a floating event from 5:00 PM-7:00 PM.
Parking will be available at Bourgeois Hall (225 Cajundome Blvd).
Ragin' Cajuns Volleyball vs. Florida A&M
6:00 PM | Earl K. Long Gymnasium (500 E. St. Mary Blvd.)
Admission is FREE to watch one of the most exciting sports programs on campus. Come out and support our Ragin' Cajuns volleyball team as they take on Florida A&M at the historic Earl K. Long Gym. Be sure to read about the clear bag policy.
Saturday, September 21
Drive-Through Family Weekend Headquarters
8:00 AM–10:00 AM | Alumni Center (600 E. St. Mary Blvd.)
Stop by our convenient drive-through-style Family Weekend Headquarters location to pick up your pre-ordered Family Weekend t-shirts, ask questions, and drop off your donations for the Family Weekend Service Project. We invite you to donate gently-used professional clothing items, nonperishable food items, and personal hygiene products to benefit our on-campus Career Closet and Campus Cupboard.
To access the Family Weekend Headquarters, drive to the Alumni Center, located at 600 E. St. Mary Blvd. Enter the semi-circle driveway from St. Mary Blvd. One of our volunteers will meet you at your vehicle to assist you.
Dupre Library Special Collections Open House
10:00 AM–2:00 PM | Dupre Library, 3rd floor
Dupré Library's Special Collections Department brings together a wide variety of materials representing the south and southwest Louisiana experience. Searching for family history? Need historical statistics on Louisiana? Looking for population data for Acadiana? Interested in the works of award-winning author Ernest J. Gaines? Enjoy Cajun and Creole music? Visit the Special Collections Open House to discover how we support research for students, faculty, and scholars alike.
Explore the UL Lafayette Science Museum & Planetarium
10:00 AM–6:00 PM | 433 Jefferson Street
Located in the heart of downtown, the UL Lafayette Science Museum is a playful portal into a vast universe of discovery. The museum offers a fun, hands-on experience for curious minds of all ages. The museums exhibits and installations are designed to enlighten and educate. Visit the UL Lafayette Science Museum to learn something new - and have fun in the process!
Students receive free admission to the museum year-round with their Cajun Card. During Family Weekend, parents and family members can visit the museum for only $5 per ticket (plus processing fees). To receive the Family Weekend discount, your student must present their Cajun Card at the door. Limit 4 discounted tickets per UL Lafayette student.
See Art & Make Art at the Hilliard!
12:30 PM–3:00 PM | 710 East St. Mary Blvd.
The Hilliard Art Museum is delighted to welcome our Ragin' Cajun students and their loved ones during Family Weekend. Visit the museum any time between 12:30 PM and 3:00 PM for a drop-in art activity designed for all ages. Check out the current exhibitions and create your own masterpiece! Admission to the museum is free for everyone during Family Weekend. Parking is available on site for those participating in this event. The museum will offer 15% discount in the store during Family Weekend.
The Hilliard is open from 10:00 AM until 5:00 PM on Saturday, with free admission all day for Family Weekend attendees. The See Art & Make Art event takes place from 12:30 PM until 3:00 PM.
Family Weekend Tailgate*
8:00 AM–10:30 AM | Cajun Field, Alumni Association Tailgate inside Russo Park
*Registration is required, registration is now closed.
*Tickets are limited and expected to sell out. Family Weekend Tailgate registration closes Sunday, September 15 or when tickets sell out.
Join the UL Lafayette Alumni Association for the official Family Weekend Tailgate! Help us cheer on the Ragin' Cajuns as they prepare to take on the Tulane Green Wave.
Registration is $25 per person. Kids 12 & under are free but UL Lafayette students will need a ticket to enter this tailgate. This includes pastalaya, cracklins, quail eggs, soft drinks, water, beer, and seltzers. Food and drinks are first-come, first-serve while supplies last and will stop being served 30 minutes prior to kick-off. Refunds will not be provided.
If you are a current Alumni Association Loyalty Fund Member, there is no cost for you to attend this event and you can enter through the regular tailgate entrance. If any of your additional guests are not active Loyalty Fund members, they must purchase a ticket here to attend.
The Family Weekend and Alumni Association can't wait to tailgate in our NEW and improved location in Russo Park! Enjoy better proximity to Music Under the Oaks, the stadium and indoor restrooms! To enter the Alumni tailgate, guests enter through the Russo Park main entrance and proceed to the visible check-in area before entering the right-side concourse. Click here for a map.
Alternative Tailgating Opportunity
If you would like a free tailgate option (8:30 AM–10:00 AM) open to the public, you can visit the family friendly Cajuns Village presented by Cajun Country Rice located along Reinhardt Drive next to Russo Park. Thanks to Ragin’ Cajuns corporate partners, fans can enjoy games and activities such as basketball, obstacle courses, cornhole and more! Concessions will be available to purchase inside Russo Park (Baseball Stadium).
Ragin' Cajuns Football vs. Tulane*
11:00 AM | Cajun Field
*Tickets Required (see below; fees apply)
Fight on Cajuns, fight on to victory! You don’t want to miss the Ragin’ Cajuns as they take on the Tulane Green Wave. For additional details about game day and special festivities at Cajun Field, visit the 2024 Game Day Central website. Be sure to read about the clear bag policy as well.
Use this link to purchase your tickets online at a special Family Weekend discount! Available until 1 hour before game start time
- The link above provides tickets to Section 108 of Cajun Field.
- Students get in FREE but must obtain a Student Mobile Ticket, available now. This ticket will allow the student to sit in Section 109.
- But if you all wish to sit together, you can purchase a ticket for your student in section 108 to reserve their seat. Section 108 is next to the student section.
- Please note: Ragin' Cajuns Athletics utilizes mobile ticketing for all guests. Be sure to download your tickets to your mobile device before arriving at Cajun Field in case service is spotty due to large crowds. Mobile ticket instructions and more information can be found online.
Free general admission parking is available for most games at the Intramural Fields, Blackham Coliseum, the LITE Center and the Cajundome. Lot availability is subject to change. Click here for a map.
Sunday, September 22
Family Day with Rec Sports
10:00 AM–6:00 PM | Bourgeois Hall (225 Cajundome Blvd.)
Visit our expansive recreation facilities at Bourgeois Hall! On Sunday, September 24 friends and family members of UL Lafayette students are welcome to utilize our Rec Sports facilities free of charge. Get a workout in or hit the courts to unwind after a busy weekend.
Facilities Available Include:
- Lap Pool (weather permitting)
- Student Fitness Center (weight machines, free weights, cardio equipment, and a variety of other equipment)
- Gymnasium courts with basketball, volleyball, and more
- Racquetball courts and tennis courts
- Indoor track
- Bourgeois Park with paved path and outdoor fitness equipment stations (located across Cajundome Blvd.)
- Equipment rental will be available from the front desk
Important Notes:
- The UL Lafayette student must be present with their friends & family members to be admitted into Bourgeois Hall. Students must present their Cajun Card at the door.
- Any family members aged 14 years or younger must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
- Visitors must be 16 years or older to access the Fitness Center. All ages are allowed in the court areas and other facilities.
- The leisure pool area and rock wall will not be open at this time.
Ragin' Cajuns Soccer vs. Texas State
1:00 PM | Home Bank Track & Soccer Complex (111 Reinhardt Drive)
Cheer on the Ragin' Cajuns Soccer team in their match against Texas State. Admission is FREE! Be sure to read the clear bag policy. Parking is available on site.
Explore the UL Lafayette Science Museum & Planetarium
1:00 PM–6:00 PM | 433 Jefferson Street
Located in the heart of downtown, the UL Lafayette Science Museum is a playful portal into a vast universe of discovery. The museum offers a fun, hands-on experience for curious minds of all ages. The museum’s exhibits and installations are designed to enlighten and educate. Visit the UL Lafayette Science Museum to learn something new - and have fun in the process!
Students receive free admission to the museum year-round with their Cajun Card. During Family Weekend, parents and family members can visit the museum for only $5 per ticket (plus processing fees). To receive the Family Weekend discount, your student must present their Cajun Card at the door. Limit 4 discounted tickets per UL Lafayette student.
Things to Do in Lafayette
Interested in creating your own adventure while visiting Lafayette? See our list of suggestions below or visit the Lafayette Travel website.