UC Davis Picnic Day

I went to picnic day to visit friends of mine that go to Davis. Picnic Day is mainly a) science exhibits because UC Davis is a public reasearch University and b) college kids getting drunk as hell. I thought the parade was cool and was impressed by UC Davis’ marching band’uh. The Dog race or Doxie Derby was a little on the long side. The best part was free parking.
My best advice is to choose what you want to see wisely because most exhibits and attractions end at 3 pm. Also, if you want an easy time leaving Davis, leave before all the events end, which is like 3 pm or 4 pm.

Excellent event. Very proud of our UC Davis students. Family oriented and gave our Junior in High School a great impression. Thank you all for all your dedication to this event!

As an alumni I hold Picnic Day close to my heart, for in my four years of undergraduate this day never failed to bless me with libations, fun, and pleasant memories. I mean for a lot of students Picnic Day is an excuse to wake up with beer and to fall asleep sloshed. To the event itself, though, this is a fun-​for-​all day where you can wander about the sprawling UCD campus to find a countless number of activities ranging from a cow-​milking experience (you haven’t lived until you’ve milked a cow) to a dachshund race. On the main campus quad you will find a variety of student-​run food offerings (quite tasty might I add) as well as a number of live performances. Or you can simply chill and sunbathe on the lavish campus green!
Beyond the campus proper is really an entirely different scene as the normally quiet and reserved Davis atmosphere is awash with boozed revelers lurching about the downtown area. Driving is not recommended unless you find a forty minute crawl down a one mile stretch enjoyable then go for it. Moreover, downtown is best avoided unless you are all for the bar scene and enjoy people who live, at least for the one Picnic Day, with complete abandon.

There is something for absolutely everyone at picnic day. My personal favorites are the music (both the battle of the bands –marching bands– which is epic and you could waste an entire day on the arboretum and the other live music), the craft center (demonstrations of woodwork, glass blowing, metal working, print making and more), and the sheep dog demonstrations (these dogs are exceptionally talented). Great food and something to see around every corner.
The only downside with picnic day is that the partying has gotten a little out of hand. Campus it’s self isn’t too bad, but I find it best to avoid downtown on picnic day.

Picnic Day turns 100! Yahoo! It’s been «several» years since my last Picnic Day. This year was quite good. The temperature was great, not too warm/​hot and not wet; and the crowd was large enough to be festive yet not overly crowded. Caught the parade in the morning and relaxed while listening to the Battle of the Bands. Didn’t get into the ARC (I knew it as the Rec Hall) in time to see Doxie Derby (dachshund races); venue filled up. What happened to the cow with the hole in it? Picnic Day t-​shirts ran out very quickly from the bookstore; should have picked one up the first time I saw it. I think it’s a nice way to see the campus and visit various departments and building supporting the majors of interest.

Dancing on the lawn by the stage… it’s like Davis’s mini Coachella! It was so much fun as there was good sized amount of people jamming to dance songs as the next act was preparing for their performance. I kept thinking to myself, «So this is how music festivals are like. I gotta go to one before I get too old!» So the act up was a country duo and their voices deserved to be signed! It was a quality performance and I enjoyed being able to experience it. For the next Picnic Day, definitely check out the stage on the quad!
DDR was AWESOME! It was my first time attending and it was super fun to watch. I loved all the performances; everyone was so talented. One thing I might do next time, is sit at the bleachers in the back. On the floor, it was kinda hard to see the performances in perfect view as there were all these heads in the way!
I like Picnic Day.

Picnic day is Davis’s annual open house. It’s usually a big party, and there always so much to do… if you can get to it in time. If you want to have a fulfilling picnic day, get there early to get a spot and leave yourself adequate timing to travel from one place to another and wait in line. Yes, lines can be as bad as Disneyland depending what you’re in line for. Free food/​plants/​science shows tend to have some bad lines.

Picnic Day is what Davis is all about. A day where people from all over come to see what UCD has to offer. The event is ran almost entirely by students, from shows to food stands.
Some things worth trying/​watching:
— Doxie Derby
— Milking a cow
— Chemistry Magic Show
— Lazer Maze (Although they didn’t have it this year)
— Parade
— Fashion Show — Never watched it myself but heard it was great.
— DDR (Davis Dance Revolution) — $ 15/​$ 20 for students/​non-​students at the door, but this is by far my favorite thing to watch. A dance competition between the different dance crews on campus.
— Liquid nitrogen ice cream
— Dogs to pet and dog show by Pavilion
— Food and shows on the Quad all day long.
There are so many more things that could be done. I kinda wish I tried to do more these past years, but I just got drunk and had fun.
Notes:
— Picnic Day = lots of drunk college students everywhere downtown. Watch out or join them.
— Dogs allowed everywhere outdoors.
— Free parking on campus

Picnic Day is the nation’s largest annual open house event run by students. It’s held for one day on a Saturday in April, and is open to anyone (families, children, students from other schools, and pets are all welcome!)
Some of the highlights:
–Doxy Derby Race
–Fashion Show
–DDR
–Battle of the Bands
–Milking a Cow/​Goat
–Tie Dying Tshirt
–Liquid Nitrogen Ice-​Cream
–Free Strawberry Plants
–Early Morning Parade
–Entertainment (Dancers, Music, etc)
–Meat Lab
–Petting of Horses
–Chemistry Magic Show
–Free stuff
For underclassmen and outsiders, it’s a chance to do all the cool things listed above.
For the upperclassmen who have done it all, it’s an excuse to get drunk all day.

UC Davis 100 years Picnic Day is my first Picnic Day!!! This day is THE day of the year that turns the whole town upside down. Literally yesterday was very calm. Today aka Picnic Day has waken up all the partying spirits of not only students but parents! Since this year is my first time, there are 5 things that I wish I could have done to improve or utilize my walkings to see the most events on campus:
1) Briefly go on the UC Davis Picnic Day website at least a day ahead to highlight all events you would like to see. Trust me, on the day of, there will be so many people looking happy, you will be way too excited to follow them!
2) If you are planning to bring your dog, cross out Doxie Derby (the pup race) at the ARC. Unless your dog is a service dog, they will not allow you to bring in your little ones. I had to learn this the hard way, as so many other dog owners.
3) Go to sleep early the night before, because you need to wake up early to catch the parade at 9:30am!!!
4) Get your sunscreen ready, or go buy an umbrella/​a hat! The weather will be hot (not so much of burning hot). Prepared for your skin away from the sun is healthy for you, since you are expected to be out for HOURS!
5) Bring a bottle of water!!! You will easily get dehydrated. Campus had a variety of places for you to refill your water bottle.
Anyways, enjoy the best Aggie tradition! For those who visit Davis for the first time, welcome to the town of awesomeness!

Picnic Day is in every Aggie’s DNA.
If you went to UC Davis then memories of day drinking, dog races, and debauchery
are part of what makes you an Aggie.

O-​M-​G do you know how big UC Davis is? HUGE.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this Picnic Day… It was on ⁴⁄₂₀ so it definitely was a double whammy! There are a lot of activities on campus, clubs selling food, pet viewings, open museums, cow milking, dance competition, and even the wiener dog races! Enjoyed all of it except for the all the walking. Seriously, people put your walking shoes on. If there is one thing you want to do, make sure you go and watch the wiener dog races. They are adorable creatures and it was so cute watching them run to their owners or getting lost haha. If you are going to watch make sure you get to the venue early because there is a huge line just to get in.
I like their no tolerance rule on campus. Once you head to downtown… that’s a different story.
–Give it a try! If you have a chance but don’t get your hopes up!
P. s.: This is a great opportunity for those interested in going to Davis or who were accepted.

TIP: Do not get your hopes up.
Picnic Day is more of a family/​kids event. It’s a chance for clubs, organizations, and sponsors to get their name out there.
Last year, Golden Turtle Lion Dance Association performed in the parade, and at the Silo. My Taiwanese American Organization did a small booth with a little game as a small fundraiser.
On the quad, you can buy food (but it may be overpriced for small proportions).
This year, my friends & I got a free small cup of ice cream made out of liquid nitrogen. We waited a whole hour for the supposedly Magic Show that never happened? So we just left.
The event is a drug and alcohol free event, but majority of college students show up drunk and/​or high. Not trying to be a bad influence, but if you’re over 21, you will have so much more fun if you pregame: P
Tip #2: If you have the money, GO TO DAVIS DANCE REVOLUTION! Super amazing performances :)
Tip #3: It’s usually really hot during picnic day, so dress appropriately!
I love this event because IT IS CRACKIN’! People from all over the place come to just chill. Next year is the 100^th year anniversary, so I’ll most likely be back :)

Picnic Day is an annual tradition of welcoming prospective students, alumni, their family and pets, and anyone who wants to visit, to a festive celebration and open house of the entire expansive campus. It’s a great opportunity for alumni to reminisce on their glory days and for teens to catch a glimpse of what college life in UC Davis would be like. It’s just plain fun to come here for a day. Oh, did I mention that it was free? Other than the food, of course…
Be sure to grab a newspaper containing all the activities, schedules, and campus map to help you plan the day.
To begin the day, there is the pancake breakfast you can sit in on at Freeborn Hall early in the morning. If you want to catch the much-​anticipated chemistry magic show, be sure to get in line for the the tickets as early as you can at Rock Hall (formerly Chem 194). When we arrived at 9, the line already stretched to two city block equivalents! We stood in line for approximately 30 minutes before we got our tickets for the 11:30 show. There were also 1 PM and 2 PM shows. We were advised to arrive by 11:10 to get in line for the best seats. If you weren’t able to get your hands on tickets, there’s also a chance you can get into the show if others (with tickets) don’t show. It started off a little slow but it finished with a bang. It was a good showcase to show everyone that science is not only nerdy but also fun AND cool.
The parade was scheduled to begin at 9:30, but by 10 it still hadn’t started. There were plenty of marching bands, floats, horses, kids, etc to enjoy. Just be aware that once the parade has begun, you won’t be able to cross the street on the parade route.
The quad is where the crowds congregated for music, food, and sunbathing. There were plenty of food booths (sponsored by clubs on campus) to choose from: root beer floats, hot dogs, Hawaiian BBQ sandwiches, hamburgers, snow cones, Korean BBQ, etc. If none of those foods sound enticing to your ears, there are always the
There is a kids areas at the Alumni Center next to the Arboretum where you could test your aim as a quarterback and as a baseball pitcher. There were also other booths and a food vendor.
There are also sports events to behold, just as soccer, water polo, and baseball game.
My favorites of the entire event:
– Going to the ARC (Activities and Recreation Center) and appreciating the beauty of the architecture. It was the most amazing state-​of-​the-​art gym I’ve ever set foot in. The gymnasium was huge that spanned 4 basketball courts across. Above it was a running track. It was thoroughly amusing to observe that there were fast and slow lanes and direction changes with day. There were also 6 volleyball courts, squash courts, martial arts studio, dance studio, group exercise studio, and cardio and weight machines. The cardio machines had TVs on the control panels. Memberships are free for students and about $ 300 for alumni. FYI, the tour didn’t begin until 11 AM.
– The event is welcoming to canines. I really enjoyed greeting the many dogs that walked by. Turns out the Doxie Derby was always the most popular event at the ARC Pavilion (Rec Hall) next to the ARC.
Other fun stuff included a chance to milk a cow/​goat. You won’t believe it but the line for this was enormous! There are also free plants and bug exhibits. We didn’t get a chance to go to the biomedical horrors exhibit although it might be disturbing to the kiddies. We also missed the laser maze (?). Most of the events finish around 3. You can go bowl a game or play pool in the arcade under the book store. It’s a frenzy at the bookstore but the lines weren’t long with at least 6 cashiers open.
When you visit, you must consider your location of parking. When we parked at the West Entry parking structure 2 years ago, we were stuck there for an hour waiting to get out! Parking outside along La Rue road will heat your car into a convection oven by late afternoon.
Be sure to wear plenty of sunscreen, hat, and warm weather clothing. Bring water to stay hydrated because bottled water can cost as much as $ 3. It’s a scorcher every year but the wind was howling until past noon, offering a welcomed breeze.
FYI, next year is the 100^th year anniversary of picnic day!

The most crackin’ day of the year in Davis. Good for families, groups of friends or couples.
Don’t expect things to be crazy organized. Things are generally under control but you kind of just have to chill and find your way around.
The food is decent but mostly cooked by frat boys. There are some good performances you can check out too. Tons of booze so just know this is an event purely to mess around and have a good time.

Love Picnic Day! I used to run a food booth here for Thai American Student Association — and although it was a lot of work, it was definitely a lot of fun as well! During the years where I wasn’t helping out with the booth, there were so many activities going on — anything from laser tag to pet adoptions! And the doxie derby was always a fun even to go to.
Now that I live far away, I miss going to Picnic Day at UCD every year. Of course back then I only had to bike to get to campus and didn’t have to worry about parking — I’m sure that’s not the case for me anymore!

Davis campus is so lively and flooded with out-​of-​towners when it’s Picnic Day!
There’s plenty to do or enjoy — live music, food booths, chilling outdoors or indoors, walking around to exhibits and bar hopping later on during the day!
It sure is a fun, annual event that you don’t want to miss out on with friends or family!
Definitely a great outing experience that a UC Davis student or anyone who is affiliated with college life should check out!

How can someone go to Picnic Day and not enjoy themselves??? This is an amazing event!
Since I am a UC Davis alumni, Picnic Day is definitely important to me and I’ve been attending this event for many years. Picnic Day 2012 was not a disappointment and I had just as much fun as previous years. It was great to see the campus filled with so many students, faculty and alumni, all enjoying being an «Aggie». While you’re there, you can see a ton of demonstrations and participate in many, many events like the process of making ice cream using liquid nitrogen, sampling different kinds of honey or learning how to milk a cow. This year it was extremely warm, but still comfortable.
It was great to sit outside on the main quad area lawn and listen to live music and people watch… can’t wait to go again!

Definitely a large outdoor event with as an excuse to drink, eat, and milk cows. The UCD campus, strewn with people, features various events and tents for alumni/​undergrads and their families to enjoy. In fact, each department puts their best foot forward to have events and experiences that highlight life on campus.
The Good:
Cow/​Goat milking
Food Science Lab
Wandering on campus
Tomato/​Grape plants
Nice exposure to college life for some families
The Bad:
Parking
Lack of Beverage vendors around campus
Maps were almost useless
The Ugly:
Drunken College folk after 4 in downtown. everywhere. EVERY. WHERE! And the Jay-​walking. I recommend not driving here at all. And if you do, enjoy a long leisurely walk to your car instead of driving through town.

I’ve heard of Picnic Day in 2009 from my UCD alumni friends, so I patiently waited to experience the next one. It was a supercalifragelisticexpialidoscious event! I’m not surprised that it is here on Unilocal.
Perfect sunny weather to march with the alumni band during the parade. (Well, I was being the unofficial paparazzi!) The Davis townfolks were awesome. Food booths inside campus permeated the air with BBQ’s. Lots of friendly nature-​loving people!
The main event of course was The Battle of the Bands. It was my very first time to watch so I was really engrossed. I love live music! They played a lot of songs that was festive and upbeat. Just can’t help but dance, sing or rock my head out! :-)
It was a very nice experience and I think I won’t get tired going to Picnic Day every year.