Mustang Family Weekend 2025 is coinciding with Halloween weekend for the second year in a row, taking place from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2.
Organized by Cal Poly’s Parent and Family Programs department, the event is typically scheduled around six to eight weeks after the start of the fall quarter, according to university spokesperson Keegan Koberl.
The three-day event is expected to draw around 7,000 to 9,000 attendees, according to Koberl. Access is purchased through a $96 family registration ticket. Simultaneously, the city of San Luis Obispo is preparing for potential penalties for violations of provisions on unruly gatherings, noise control and public consumption of alcoholic beverages.
The San Luis Obispo Police Department (SLOPD) is enforcing two safety enhancement zones with the first from Friday, Oct. 24 at midnight through Monday, Oct. 27 at 7:00 p.m. The second period will begin Thursday, Oct. 30 at midnight through Monday, Nov. 3 at 7:00 a.m., according to Municipal Code 9.22.040.
According to Koberl, several considerations are involved in scheduling Mustang Family Weekend. If the school schedules the event later than six to eight weeks after the quarter starts, it would be too close to fall break. The weekend of Oct. 24 was unavailable due to Honored Alumni Weekend.
“We also want to offer a home football game as part of the program,” Koberl said.“This year, the Nov. 1 game was the best fit. Given this, and last year’s success, we decided to schedule it for the same weekend this year. Campus partners are embracing the Halloween spirit, many are dressing for the occasion and offering candy or treats as part of their event.”
Students have mixed reactions over the crossover
Although Cal Poly has many reasons for choosing to schedule Family Weekend on ‘Halloweekend,’ students still have mixed opinions. Since many first-year students are introducing their family members to their new life on Cal Poly’s campus, some students had hoped to invest more in family time.
Busy with tennis practice and festivities, applied mathematics freshman Aspen Chung told her parents not to come because she will be busy celebrating the holiday with her friends.
“They were going to go to Parents’ Weekend,” Chung said. “But then I saw it was on Halloween weekend. I said, ‘There’s no point in coming, you guys. There’s nothing you guys are gonna be able to do.”
Chung said she could see the overlap being a tool for keeping the weekend under control.
“I can imagine it’s to prevent the younger kids from going out as much and probably making stupid decisions,” Chung said. “I know we had an issue for St. Fratty’s a couple years back, where things got really crazy. So I can imagine that having parents here on that weekend would prevent a lot of that.”
Rebecca Franco-Muñoz, a nutrition freshman, said her family is not coming because of the distance, but she has heard her friends complain about the timing of the two events.
“My roommates, their parents are coming. I just feel like you have to find a balance, I guess, Franco-Muñoz said. “With my parents not coming, I guess it does give me more freedom to do whatever.”
Other students expressed that the overlap will not interfere with their plans. Gil Partin, an agricultural communications freshman, said that she plans to balance having fun with her friends and seeing her parents.
Partin’s parents offered to stay home while she participated in the festivities, but she asked them to come anyway. She shared that she will be attending fewer events to spend more time with her family.
“I was like, ‘You guys should definitely come.’ Just, you know, one or two of the nights, maybe I won’t be with you guys. They were like, ‘Of course,’” Partin said.
“My roommate is from Seattle. Her parents are coming, her boyfriend is coming,” Partin said. “So it’s a hassle for the parents to come, and she’s not planning on going out because her parents are coming.”
Partin shared that she believes the school may be trying to curb partying by scheduling these two events to overlap.
“[Cal Poly is] getting what they want out of it, but I don’t personally mind,” Partin said.
