When Williamsburg Fills Up: Key W&M Dates in 2026
William & Mary draws tens of thousands of parents, families, and alumni to Williamsburg each year across several peak weekends. If you are visiting campus for any of these events, understanding the local lodging landscape and booking early makes the difference between a relaxed trip and a stressful one.
Here are the major dates that drive demand for Williamsburg lodging in the 2026 academic year.
Commencement Weekend: May 14 to 16, 2026. The main ceremony takes place the evening of Friday, May 15. Hotels and inns within walking distance of campus book out weeks in advance. If your student is graduating, this is the single hardest weekend to find lodging nearby.
Move-in and Welcome Day: Late August 2026. W&M Welcome Day typically falls in late August, and the surrounding days are busy as families help students settle in. Demand is moderate but concentrated on the days immediately before and after classes begin.
Family Weekend: Early October 2026 (exact dates TBA). In 2025, Family Weekend ran October 3 to 5. The 2026 dates have not been announced, but W&M has historically held this event on the first full weekend of October. The schedule features campus tours, faculty presentations, student performances, and a football game. Registration is free and opens in late summer.
Homecoming and Reunion Weekend: October 24, 2026. This year's Homecoming game is W&M vs. Georgetown at Zable Stadium, the Tribe's inaugural Patriot League home schedule. Expect heavy alumni traffic alongside current families. Events and registration details are typically posted in summer.
Where to Stay: Lodging Options Near Campus
Williamsburg offers a range of accommodations, from large chain hotels along Richmond Road to smaller inns and guest houses closer to the historic center and campus. Here is a practical breakdown of the main options.
Walking Distance to Campus (Under 1 Mile)
The most convenient lodging for W&M events is within the blocks immediately north and west of the Historic District. Properties along North Henry Street, North Boundary Street, and the surrounding residential streets put you within a short walk of both the W&M campus and Merchants Square. This area includes a handful of small inns and guest houses, typically offering six to twelve rooms in restored Victorian and colonial-era homes.
What makes this zone worth prioritizing is the combination of proximity and ease. You can walk to campus events, dinner on Duke of Gloucester Street, and back to your room without moving your car. Most properties in this area offer private on-site parking, en-suite bathrooms, and a quiet residential feel. Some operate on a contactless, keyless model that gives you the independence of a hotel without the institutional atmosphere. If you have visited your student before, you already know how valuable it is to skip the parking logistics on game days and ceremony mornings.
The trade-off is limited inventory. These are small properties with under a dozen rooms each. They fill quickly once event dates are announced, so book as soon as you have your calendar set.
Richmond Road Corridor (1 to 3 Miles)
The stretch of Richmond Road (Route 60) heading northwest from the city center has the highest concentration of hotel rooms in Williamsburg. You will find familiar national chains here, along with a few locally owned hotels. Rooms are more plentiful and generally more affordable, but you will need to drive and park for most campus events. During Family Weekend, campus parking is available in faculty, staff, and student lots, but football game days have separate parking restrictions.
Route 199 and Interstate 64 Area (3+ Miles)
Further out along Route 199 and near the I-64 interchange, larger hotels and extended-stay properties cater primarily to theme park visitors (Busch Gardens, Water Country USA). These work fine if you have a car and do not mind a 10 to 15 minute drive, but you will miss the convenience of being able to walk between your room, campus, and the restaurants on Duke of Gloucester Street or Prince George Street.
Tips for Booking W&M Weekends
Book as early as possible. For Commencement, three to four months ahead is not too early. For Family Weekend and Homecoming, book as soon as the official dates drop. Williamsburg lodging during these weekends operates at near-capacity.
Check cancellation policies. If you are booking before the exact dates are confirmed (especially for Family Weekend), look for flexible cancellation terms so you can adjust if the schedule shifts.
Consider a two-night stay. Most W&M weekends run Friday through Sunday. Arriving Friday evening gives you time to settle in and explore Williamsburg's restaurants before the structured events begin Saturday morning.
Explore Merchants Square while you are here. The shopping and dining district at the west end of Duke of Gloucester Street is a five-minute walk from campus. It is a natural gathering spot for families, with restaurants that range from casual to upscale, plus locally owned shops. No reservations needed for browsing, but dinner reservations at popular spots like The Trellis or Fat Canary should be made ahead of time.
Beyond Campus: What Else to Do in Williamsburg
If you are coming from out of town and have extra time, Williamsburg offers more than campus activities. Colonial Williamsburg's Historic Area is immediately adjacent to W&M (the Wren Building, the university's oldest structure, sits right at the edge of the restored colonial town). The Williamsburg Bray School, Jamestown Settlement, and Yorktown are all within a short drive. In 2026, the entire region is hosting special programming for America's 250th anniversary, so there is no shortage of things to see.
For a quieter outing, the Virginia Capital Trail offers 52 miles of paved biking and walking path stretching from Williamsburg to Richmond along the James River.
A Note on 2026 Specifically
This year, W&M events overlap with an unusually busy tourism calendar in Williamsburg due to the 250th anniversary celebrations. October weekends in particular will see combined demand from Homecoming visitors, anniversary event attendees, and fall foliage tourists. If October is your window, treat lodging as a time-sensitive decision.