St. Olaf's own 2026 ceremony ran Saturday, May 23; Carleton's ran three weeks later, Saturday, June 13, 2026 — two separate commencement weekends in the same small town.
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What’s confirmed
St. Olaf’s own 2026 ceremony ran Saturday, May 23, 2026, on the Campus Green. Carleton’s ran three weeks later, Saturday, June 13, 2026, on the Bald Spot. Neither college had published exact 2027 dates as of this writing.
Two neighbors, two separate weekends
St. Olaf and Carleton sit on opposite sides of the same small Northfield river town, but hold separate commencement weekends about three weeks apart — meaning this small town’s hotel crunch happens twice each spring rather than once.
Where this fits with your hotel plan
See where to stay for the AmericInn downtown, or sold out, now what for Burnsville.
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Frequently asked questions
What is St. Olaf's 2027 commencement schedule?
Not yet exactly published as of this writing. The 2026 ceremony ran Saturday, May 23, 2026, on the Campus Green, shown here as a labeled reference point.
What is Carleton's 2027 commencement schedule?
Not yet exactly published as of this writing. The 2026 ceremony ran Saturday, June 13, 2026, on the Bald Spot — three weeks after St. Olaf's — shown here as a labeled reference point.
Why do two separate schools' calendars matter here?
St. Olaf and Carleton sit on opposite sides of the same small Northfield, MN, sharing a genuinely limited hotel base across two separate spring commencement weekends rather than one.
Where does everyone stay for the weekend?
See [where to stay](/northfield-mn/where-to-stay) for the AmericInn downtown, or [sold out, now what](/northfield-mn/sold-out-now-what) for Burnsville.
How we verified this
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