The Daily Illini New Student Guide

… And for next year.

For those of you that don’t know, these two weekends are a time where fathers and mothers come to campus to spend time with their kid. Dads Weekend takes place during the football season and usually lands on a home game some time in October or early November. Fathers come, tailgate with their sons or daughters, watch the Illini play and then spend the next few days being shown around the town, maybe stopping at a bar, passing out too early and leave some spending money before heading home. Moms Weekend is in the spring. Mothers come and watch the annual play, get a delightful dinner and then spend the next few days being shown around the town, maybe stopping at a bar, passing out way too early and then leave some spending money before heading home. It is truly a unique time of the year.

Finding a hotel for these high-demand weekends is hard to do, especially when you’re starting late in the game. Many of the hotels in the area use a wait-list system. Patrons that used the hotel get first choice on whether or not they would like to reserve a room for the following year, said Jackie Sams, who works the help desk at the Hawthorne Suites of Champaign, 101 Trade Centre Dr. If that person doesn’t want a room the following year, then whoever is next on the waiting list moves up.

At the Hawthorne Suites, Sams said the waiting list is already closed for Dads Weekend (Oct. 31-Nov.2) and Moms Weekend (April 17-19). People are already calling to be put on the waiting list for Dads Weekend 2009 and Moms Weekend 2010.

“We’ve had to turn down a lot of people for Moms Weekend ’09,” Sams said. “We’re already taking names for the Moms Weekend 2010 to be put on the waiting list.”

The University has already released the dates for the next two years of Dads and Moms weekends. Dads Weekend 2009 will be Nov. 13-15 and 2010 will be Oct. 22-24. Moms Weekend ’10 will take place April 16-18 and ’11 will be April 8-10. Take advantage of this knowledge and start exploring hotel options now.

Moms especially should book a hotel early because there is nothing you will find more disgusting than a college kids’ living quarters.

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