Experience the Community Where Your Student Flourishes
March 27-29, 2026
Parents and families are invited to return to campus for Parent & Family Weekend at Westmont College—a special time to experience life alongside your student. Throughout the weekend, visitors can attend select open classes, chapel, and campus events, connect with other families, and enjoy activities like art exhibits, athletics, and the beloved Spring Sing tradition. It’s a chance to see firsthand what makes the Westmont community unique while spending meaningful time together.
Friday
Experience a Westmont Class
8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Check out the classes welcoming visitors. Be prepared to participate -- and expect challenging content!
List of open classes will be posted here in the coming weeks.
Weekend Check-In
Location: Outside the Dining Commons
Check in once during the weekend. Say hello, pick up your name tag and a cup of coffee or tea as you begin your day. If you arrive later in the day, look for the check in table, beginning at 2 pm, near the President's Patio (Kerrwood Hall)
Worship in Chapel
10:30 a.m. - 11:20 a.m.
Location: Murchison Gym
Our speaker is Julie Canlis. She holds a PhD from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland and is the author of Calvin’s Ladder and A Theology of the Ordinary. She and her husband Matt started their family and ministered in the Church of Scotland for 13 years, and together produced the documentary Godspeed. For her work on John Calvin, she won a Templeton Prize and the Christianity Today Award of Merit.
Buy lunch on or off Campus
11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
You can buy lunch in the Dining Commons (cashless payment) or go to one of many great restaurants in the area.
"Mapping the Good Life" - Insights on Human Flourishing
2:30-3:00 p.m.
Location: Hieronymus Lounge, Kerrwood Hall
Parents, join us for an engaging presentation called Mapping the Good Life: Human Flourishing in Academic Contexts. Our speakers are Carmel Saad, Ph.D., Director of the Carol Houston Center for Justice Reconciliation and Diversity, and Smaranda Lawrie, Ph.D., Director of Westmont's Center for Resilience and Human Flourishing. Their presentation will introduce you to Westmont’s affiliation with the Global Flourishing Study, a massive five-year study of 220,000 people in 22 countries that examines many aspects of flourishing.
Reception immediately following on the President's Patio.
Parent & Family Reception
3:00-4:00 p.m.
Location: President's Patio, Kerrwood Hall
Parents, grandparents, guardians and siblings, the Parents Council warmly invites you to join them for light refreshments, and a chance to connect.
Enjoy Santa Barbara! Your student may be studying or rehearsing for Spring Sing Friday night. If not, there are great restaurants and sightseeing to enjoy together.
Art Exhibits
Beyond the Wilderness: Ansel Adams in 1940s Los Angeles
Location: Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art
Many of the featured works in the exhibition come from the collection of the Los Angeles County Public Library, to which Adams offered a series of 217 negatives portraying 1940s Los Angeles in the lead-up to World War II. Learn More
Habitual Curiosity: Paintings by Chelsea Roberts '18
Location: Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art, Downstairs
Museum, Downstairs Exhibition "This series showcases my curiosity for the natural world, and celebrates the variety of species and connections found both locally in Santa Barbara, as well as across the globe." Learn More
Saturday
Check-In
8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Location: Global Leadership Center
If you have not already checked in this weekend, get your name tag and say hello! Let us know if you have any questions.
Breakfast & President's Update for Parents
9:00 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Location: Global Leadership Center
Enjoy a hearty breakfast hear from Westmont President Gayle D. Beebe. Bring your questions!
Lunch Available at the Dining Commons
11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Buy lunch in the Dining Commons with your student or go to one of many great restaurants in the area!
Cheer on Warriors Tennis
12:00 p.m. (Women); 3:00 p.m. (Men)
Explore Santa Barbara!
There are a number of fun, Free Things to Do in the Santa Barbara Area. Your student may have errands to run or Spring Sing to prepare for -- discuss in advance what they are available for today.
Spring Sing
6:30-10 p.m., doors open at 5:15 p.m.
Location: Santa Barbara Bowl, 1122 N. Milpas Street.
Tickets purchased separately. See Spring Sing page for details and tickets.
Spring Sing stars Westmont students! Bring a blanket and binoculars and enjoy a fun evening under the stars at this beautiful outdoor amphitheater nestled in the hills. A steep climb leads to venue. Allow ample time for parking and seating.
Dinner on the Town
Enjoy dinner in town with your student if they are free. Here are some local favorites.
Sunday
Church
Attend church with your student and treat them to breakfast or lunch.
FAQs
This is a partial list of area hotels. Some stay north toward Goleta, while some may stay south toward Carpinteria. Vacation rentals may also be an option. Santa Barbara Hotel Ideas.
Please email us at parents@westmont.edu or call (805) 565-6056 so we can advise on parking needs or other questions. This interactive map may also be helpful to review for guests with mobility concerns on campus.
You can stock up on Warrior gear during the following hours:
Friday: 8:45 a.m.-4:30 p.m. (Note, bookstore is closed during chapel, 10:30-11:20 a.m.)
Saturday: 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Sunday: Closed
Shop online at all hours here.