April Weekends at Vista: The Kickoff to Summer!
April is always a fun time around Vista. After a long offseason, camp starts to feel like camp again. The weather is warming up, activities are opening back up, families are back on the grounds, and summer suddenly doesn’t seem very far away.
We’ve always looked at our April weekends as the unofficial kickoff to summer, and beginning in 2027, they’re going to look a little different.
For the past several years, we’ve hosted Family Weekend on the final two weekends of April. This year, we’re starting something new. Our first weekend, April 16–18, will be our first-ever Father/Son Weekend, followed by Family Weekend, April 23–25.
Registration for both is now open!
A New April Tradition
Our plan going forward is to alternate that first weekend between Father/Son and Mother/Daughter. We’ll start with Father/Son in 2027, host our first Mother/Daughter Weekend in 2028, and continue alternating from there.
We’re also planning to throw an Alumni Weekend into the mix every five years, with the first one coming in 2031.
The constant will be Family Weekend. The last full weekend of April will always be Family Weekend at Vista.
We think this gives us a chance to create some really fun new traditions while keeping a weekend that our families have come to love.
Father/Son Weekend: April 16–18
We’re really excited to see what our first Father/Son Weekend looks like.
Dads and sons will get a chance to spend a weekend at Vista doing many of the same things our campers love all summer. Shoot some archery, grab a fishing pole, get out on the river, play some golf, sit around a campfire, or just spend some time together.
You don’t have to fill every minute. In fact, we hope you don’t. Come enjoy camp, try some things together, and have a great weekend with your son.
Family Weekend: April 23–25
The next weekend will be our traditional Family Weekend, open to current, future, and past Vista families.
For some families, it’s a chance to come back to a place they already know well. For others, it may be their first real look at Vista before dropping off a camper this summer. Either way, it’s a great weekend to explore camp, try some activities, meet other Vista families, and spend some time together on the Guadalupe.
And yes, parents finally get a chance to try some of the things their kids have been telling them about all summer!
A Quick Note About Lodging
We have two lodging options, and we want to make sure everyone understands how they work before registering.
For both weekends, families can reserve a private cabin. That cabin will be just for your family, and you’ll also have private bathroom facilities reserved for your family.
We also offer a more traditional bunkhouse option.
For Father/Son Weekend, dads and sons choosing the bunkhouse will stay together with other fathers and sons, typically in the Fort cabin.
Family Weekend works a little differently. We’ll have a Rio Vista bunkhouse and a Sierra Vista bunkhouse. Mothers and daughters will stay on the Sierra Vista side, while fathers and sons will stay on the Rio Vista side.
So, if Mom, Dad, a son, and a daughter all come to Family Weekend and choose bunkhouse lodging, the family will split up at bedtime between the two bunkhouses. If you’d rather have the whole family stay together, you’ll want to reserve a private cabin.
Come See Us at an Open House
You don’t have to spend the whole weekend with us to come see Vista.
We’ll host an Open House from 11:00 AM–2:00 PM on Sunday of both weekends. Stop by, take a tour of camp, ask questions, meet some of our staff, and enjoy a hot dog or a s’more while you’re here.
This is especially great for families who are new to Vista and want to see camp before summer.
And if neither Sunday works for you, that’s no problem. Give our office a call and we’ll find another time for you to come out and take a tour. We’re always happy to show families around.
Family Weekend Will Have Fewer Spots This Year
One important thing to keep in mind with our new April schedule is that we’re going from two Family Weekends to one.
That means we’ll have fewer Family Weekend spots available than we’ve had in the past, and we expect them to fill pretty quickly. If you already know your family wants to come, we’d encourage you to go ahead and get registered.
We’re excited about what these April weekends can become. Father/Son this year, Mother/Daughter next year, Alumni Weekend down the road, and Family Weekend continuing to bring everyone together on the last full weekend of April.
More than anything, we’re ready to have people back at camp.
Summer 2027 will be here before we know it. Come help us kick it off at Vista!
