Parents’ Weekend: Saturday, September 20th

Parade, Open Barracks, Football and More!

Key Events – Click Her to Order your T-Shirts, Totes and Saturday Lunch

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Additional Information

Overview

Parents Weekend is packed full of activities designed to show you some of the time-honored traditions of The Citadel and make you proud of the work your cadet has been doing! Without prior planning, you could find yourself running from one end of campus to the other on Saturday. It is important to plan with your family what you will do that day – especially in the morning. Sunday will be a much slower pace.

Arrive Early

Our advice is to arrive early. The campus will be clobbered with vehicles, and you do not want to risk missing any of the events.

• Starbucks and Chick-Fil-A will open at 0700 for food and drinks.
• There will be a small popup stand with breakfast sandwiches and coffee at 0730.
• In the past, Public Safety has had to close the campus to traffic around 0900 because there are no more places to park. 

Before you leave their room, plan where to meet after parade and remind them to call if they get delayed or decide to change the plan! 

• 0945: The Citadel Rifle Legion will perform on the Second Battalion Quad. This is an impressive group of cadets who serve as our ambassadors at events throughout the southeast.
• 0955: For parents of Freshmen, DO NOT BE LATE for the Freshmen Letter Presentation Ceremony that will take place in the respective company areas. They will receive their company letters to wear on their collars instead of their shirt pockets.
• ~1015: After the Letter Presentation Ceremony (~1015), the barracks will close to allow the cadets to prepare for parade. As you find your place to watch the parade, remember, if you were looking at the Parade Field from Padgett-Thomas Barracks, the companies will march to their positions from left to right left starting with the Band then alphabetically across the Parade Field. Also, while you are waiting, enjoy the Carillon Concert coming from Thomas Dry Howie Tower next to the Chapel. This is one of the largest Dutch bell installations in the Western Hemisphere with bells ranging in size from 25 to 4,400 pounds. Click here to find out more about our carillon.
• 1100: The Dress Parade. Highlights of this parade include the Freshmen Cadets joining the Corps and a Jeep Review of the Corps by General Walters, the Regimental Commander and the Regimental Commander’s parents who represent all parents and families! The Parade should be over by 1145.  

IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU COORDINATE WHERE YOU WILL MEET AFTER PARADE BEFORE YOU DEPART THE BARRACKS THAT MORNING!

• Lunch Options (pre-pay required- we will provide a link here and on the Portal once details are finalized)
  • The Citadel Family Association BBQ Buffet – Buyer Auditorium which is located on the second floor of Mark Clark Hall.  
  • Coward Hall – eat lunch where you cadet eats each day. Band families can eat upstairs since their cadets need to leave early.
  • Deas Hall:  We will provide Turkey, Ham and Vegetarian Box lunches options.
  • CAA BBQ Buffett at the HAC; BBQ buffet across from the stadium.
• If you Pre-Order your lunches, we will have lists with your name at the entrance to each location.
• If you don’t want to pre-order, you can still grab a bite at the Canteen (Chick-fil-A), inside the Football Stadium during the game or have a small tailgate at your car.
• Couple of lessons learned with the lunches:
  • 1) Don’t think of lunch as a relaxing time to spend with your cadet.  It is a time to get a quick bite to eat and move on to the Stadium for the football game.  
  • 2) You only have an hour between the end of parade and your cadet having to be back for formation. Band has even less time. So, impress upon your cadets not to delay in dropping off their rifles and meeting you at the prearranged location you agreed to before parade. Every year I see parents waiting outside the barracks while their cadets have decided to take a nap without telling them. Let them know it’s OK to change the plan as long as they let you know!
  • 3) Plan ahead and select a place to eat. The Canteen/Chick-fil-A is a great place to eat, but each year the line goes out the door and down to the Chapel. When it gets close to 1300, the cadets need to leave, and the families ended up grabbing a bite at the stadium after spending an hour in line. We try and reduce the lines each year, but Parents’ Day is crowded. The key is to have a plan and communicate with your cadet. 

• 1400: Kickoff of The Citadel/Mercer football game! The individual game tickets will go on sale August 11^th, multi-packages – that include the Mercer game – are available now. Click here to order tickets. This game is normally a sellout.
• Something to look forward to is the Summerall Guards halftime performance. Notice how quiet it gets during their performance.
• After the game: Cadets are allowed to go on leave after the game and, if authorized, an overnight. During the game the Commandant and Regimental Commander may recommend to the President that he should modify when Cadets need to return to campus (Hint: cheer hard!). Any changes will be announced over the stadium PA system at the end of the game.

Remember this is a packed day so wear appropriate clothing, especially your shoes. Also, start hydrating the day before. Make sure you take care of yourselves so you can enjoy the time with your cadet!

We hope you have a GREAT Day!

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