As someone who’s attended both events, if I had to choose, I’d choose Parents Weekend.
I-Day certainly has pomp and circumstance, mainly at the end, with the swearing-in and the march into Mother B. And of course there’s the emotion of “seeing DS/DD off.” But otherwise, it’s a rather uneventful day between when candidates walk into Alumni Hall and when they re-emerge for the oath ceremony.
On the other hand, Parents Weekend is three full days of face-to-face time in which you can behold the midshipman that DS/DD has become. They’ll have stories to tell, tales to recount, episodes to share. It’s all so fun and satisfying to see their transformation — how they talk, carry themselves and deal with others.
Yes, ideally you’d be able to go to both. They’re both wonderful milestones. But again, the personal time of Parents Weekend trumps the ceremony of I-Day, at least in my mind.