Finals Weekend at the University of Virginia draws thousands of visitors to Charlottesville each year, and they’ve all got to eat somewhere.
A little background.
Saturday and Sunday will each start the same way. The Lawn will open at 7 a.m. for first-come, first-served seating, with the ceremonies beginning at 9 a.m. (Only severe weather like thunder, lightning, strong winds and hail will force the Lawn procession to move to John Paul Jones Arena.)
Saturday, students graduating from the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, and the School of Education and Human Development will walk the Lawn. On Sunday, students in the remaining schools will process.
But that’s just the beginning. Throughout the rest of each day, individual schools and departments will host their own degree ceremonies at various times and locations across Grounds.
Each year, one question often vexes people: how to squeeze lunch with their graduate between the main ceremony on the Lawn and the individual degree ceremony.
UVA Today asked seasoned parents what their go-to plan was. Here they are.
Laura Morello, Class of 2024 Parent
(Illustration by Sako Yamaguchi, University Communications)
We packed a huge cooler of Take It Away sandwich shop sandwiches and other goodies (went back to our car) and had a tailgate. It was perfect! We were kind of lucky that (my daughter’s) individual ceremony was at JPJ, so that worked out.
Jennifer Bowen Wieland, Class of 2024 Parent
Our perfect solution to the “lunch dilemma” was Torchy’s Tacos! (My son) had two department ceremonies – one was from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and one at 4:30 p.m., both at North Grounds Recreation Center. We were at Torchy’s (at The Shops at Stonefield) by 2 p.m. It was not crowded and very relaxed. It was fun because (my son) wore his cap and gown, and everyone we saw congratulated him.
(Illustration by Sako Yamaguchi, University Communications)
I was so stressed about waiting until 2 p.m. to eat, and then it all was completely fine! You’re so busy that you don’t have time to get hungry!
Diane DeBerry Krehmeyer, Class of 2024 Parent
(Illustration by Sako Yamaguchi, University Communications)
We knew we had time between the end of the Lawn ceremony and our son’s departmental ceremony over at North Grounds, about 2 hours, so we had made a reservation at Farm Bell Kitchen because we could walk there immediately after the Lawn ceremony. I can’t remember exactly what we ate, but it was fabulous, as always. If we had not had time for a sit-down lunch, I would’ve pre-ordered sandwiches at the Market at BelAir and picked them up at the crack of dawn to eat en route to the department ceremony! We get to do it all over again for the Class of 2026, and that is my exact, same plan.
