The Flying High Circus Is Back for FSU Family Weekend, and Tallahassee Is Ready

Here is a piece of news that feels like a cold drink on a hot bleacher seat: more than 700 families are headed to Florida State University September 25–27 for Family Weekend 2026, a three-day run of campus traditions, tailgating, a football game, and the return of the FSU Flying High Circus, as Florida State University News reported in early September. A sixty-eight-year-old tradition, a marching band, a tailgate, and college students on a flying trapeze — all in one weekend, all in one town.

What's happening in Tallahassee

Family Weekend is a Florida State tradition dating to 1958, built around giving students a chance to share campus life with their families through activities, performances, and events across the weekend. This year it lands during a milestone: in recognition of FSU's 175th anniversary, the weekend adds something brand new — a student banner competition, with more than 20 registered student organizations already signed up for the inaugural contest. The football part of the equation is covered too, with a Garnet & Gold Tailgate before the FSU vs. Central Arkansas game. If you have ever stood in a stadium parking lot in September and smelled charcoal and cut grass, you know exactly what that Saturday will feel like.

The circus is back under the big top

The headline act, though, is the circus. This year's lineup features five signature events, including sold-out performances by the FSU Flying High Circus, which returns to Family Weekend — and this is not some sideshow novelty. The Flying High Circus was the first activity open to men and women after the institution returned to co-educational status, and it has been a favorite Family Weekend event ever since. It's also hitting a milestone of its own: the circus is looking forward to the 2026-27 school year, when it celebrates its 80th year. Visitors can even take a guided walking tour to the circus facility to hear its history, with concessions, mingling, and juggling under a brand new, custom-made big top tent from Italy. Regular college kids — future accountants, nurses, teachers — spend their free hours learning trapeze so they can put on a show for somebody's mom. That's about as good as campus life gets.

Why this one matters

Florida gets talked about a lot, and not always kindly. But a weekend like this is the state at its steadiest: generations showing up for each other, a tailgate that runs on folding chairs and family recipes, and a tradition old enough that some of the parents in the stands attended it as students themselves. It's the same spirit we chase with our Florida collection — the version of the state that's less punchline, more front porch. If you want to wear the sentiment outright, the Welcome to Florida Tee says it plainly.

If you want to go

Move fast on the extras — signature event tickets are on sale until Sunday, September 20 at 11:59 p.m., ahead of the weekend running Friday, Sept. 25 through Sunday, Sept. 27, and the circus shows have a habit of selling out. Details live at familyweekend.fsu.edu, where you can find more information and purchase tickets. If you're local rather than visiting, there's a way in too: faculty and staff interested in volunteering during the weekend can sign up to help. And even if you miss this one, the circus performs on campus through the year — a Tallahassee tradition hiding in plain sight.

Common questions

When is FSU Family Weekend 2026?

Family Weekend runs September 25–27, 2026, at Florida State University in Tallahassee, featuring campus traditions, tailgating, a football game, and the FSU Flying High Circus.

What is the Flying High Circus?

It's a student circus at Florida State — undergrads performing aerial and ground acts under a big top on campus. It was the first activity for men and women after FSU returned to co-educational status, and the 2026-27 school year marks its 80th.

Do I need tickets?

Yes, for the signature events. Tickets are on sale until Sunday, September 20 at 11:59 p.m., and circus performances have already sold out in past years, so don't sit on it.

Reported by Florida State University News. Details as published at the time of writing.