Each fall, Arizona State University invites families to campus for a long weekend of open houses, college events, tours and Sun Devil football. Family Weekend turns Tempe into a reunion zone: hotels fill, Mill Avenue buzzes, and the stadium hosts one of the best-attended games of the season. For visiting parents, a little logistics work up front buys a weekend that is actually relaxing.
What Family Weekend includes
The weekend centers on the Tempe campus with signature university events plus programs hosted by individual colleges, from engineering showcases to business receptions. Campus tours, recreation facilities and museums open their doors, and many families build the trip around meeting professors and seeing the dorms, labs and libraries firsthand. Saturday belongs to football at Mountain America Stadium, where the family crowd gives the game a homecoming feel. Registration details and the event schedule are published by the university each year, so confirm the current lineup before booking travel.
Flying in for the weekend
Phoenix Sky Harbor sits just minutes west of Tempe, which makes the airport leg the easiest part of the trip. Friday arrivals cluster in the afternoon as families land for the weekend, so rental counters and the rideshare zones run at their busiest. A Sky Harbor airport shuttle to the hotel skips the counter line and the unfamiliar freeway driving entirely, and it is the natural choice for parents arriving on different flights: one pickup point, one vehicle, everybody together. Family groups with grandparents in tow appreciate door-to-door service more than any other weekend of the year.
Where to stay
Mill Avenue and lake-area hotels put campus, restaurants and the game within walking distance and sell out first. Downtown Tempe and south Scottsdale properties are the next ring, still close with a short ride. Vacation rentals around Tempe work well for families wanting kitchens and shared space across a three-night stay. Whatever the pick, book the moment the weekend dates are announced, because the family crowd books earlier than the football crowd. Confirm the hotel's game-day parking situation before driving to the stadium area, since event restrictions reshape the surrounding streets.
Getting around Tempe
The Tempe campus and Mill Avenue district are genuinely walkable, and the university runs campus shuttles during the weekend in most years. Valley Metro light rail connects Tempe with downtown Phoenix, Mesa and the airport corridor, so check the current map for the station nearest the hotel. Game day is the exception to every easy-movement claim: stadium-area streets close, lots fill by permit, and postgame traffic drains slowly. The families who enjoy Saturday most are the ones who arrive early, park once or ride in, and stay for the alma mater instead of racing the traffic.
Game day with the family
Mountain America Stadium on a family-weekend Saturday is loud, warm and wonderful. Gates open well before kickoff for the pregame show, and the family sections fill early. The stadium enforces the standard clear-bag and mobile-ticket rules common to college venues, so check the current policies and download tickets before leaving the hotel. Sun protection matters even in fall: the afternoon sun finds the east stands, and the walk from the lots is longer than it looks on the map. Eat before entry or budget time for the concourse lines at halftime.
Beyond the scheduled events
The unscheduled hours make the weekend. Walk the Palm Walk at golden hour, browse the shops and patios on Mill Avenue, catch sunset from the butte, and let the student give the personal tour no official route covers. Downtown Phoenix museums, Desert Botanical Garden and Old Town Scottsdale all sit within easy reach for families extending the stay. A Scottsdale shuttle or Mesa shuttle day trip is simple to arrange between the Friday arrival and the Sunday departure, and the Flagstaff shuttle and desert-tour options cover groups staying into the week.
Tips for first-time ASU parents
Coordinate with the student before booking anything: class schedules, move-in quirks and game ticket plans all shape the weekend. Ship bulky items to the campus address ahead of time rather than flying with them. Bring comfortable walking shoes, because the campus is bigger on foot than on the map. And leave Sunday morning unscheduled: the goodbye brunch always runs long, the airport run always takes longer than planned, and a pre-booked Phoenix airport shuttle with a fixed pickup time keeps the farewell from becoming a scramble.
Make the ride match the weekend
Family Weekend is three days of togetherness, and the transportation should feel like part of it rather than a chore between events. One Tempe shuttle arrangement covering the airport arrival, the game-day movement and the Sunday departure beats a patchwork of rentals and rideshares on every axis that matters: cost, timing and family sanity. Set it when the hotel is booked, and spend the weekend on campus instead of in traffic.
Frequently asked questions
- When is ASU Family Weekend?
- Each fall on the Tempe campus, built around a home football weekend. Confirm the current year's dates and event schedule with the university before booking travel.
- How do I get from Sky Harbor to ASU?
- The airport sits minutes west of Tempe. A pre-booked Sky Harbor airport shuttle skips rental lines and drops the family at the hotel, even across different arriving flights.
- Where should parents stay for Family Weekend?
- Mill Avenue and lake-area hotels for walkability, booked early. Downtown Tempe and south Scottsdale are the next ring out.
- What is game day like at Mountain America Stadium?
- Festive and full. Arrive early, check the current bag and mobile-ticket policies, bring sun protection, and plan on slow postgame traffic.
