Tom Dotan will divide his time between leading his a capella group, using a pitch pipe above, and looking for his favorite junk food, which includes deep-fried Twinkies. (Karin Higgins/UC Davis photo)
Picnic Day details
April 14
- 9:30 a.m. Opening ceremonies — North Quad Avenue across from Wickson Hall
- 10:10 a.m. Parade
- The full schedule (PDF)
Seniors give the inside scoop on campus open house
UC Davis may have first opened our doors to students in 1908, but what put people on the highway traveling to campus — at least in our thinking — was when we started celebrating Picnic Day 93 years ago.
This year, with a theme of "Making Our Mark," you'll see the campus's commitment to sustainability.
The biggest addition to this year's festivities, and part of the charitable emphasis, is the Non-profit Fair.
Organizations from all over Yolo County and down to the Bay Area, such as The American Red Cross and Habitat for Humanity, will have informational booths on campus from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., on the lawn in front of Olson Hall.
The largest student-run event in the U.S. is expected to draw more than 50,000 visitors — students, alumni, parents and plain ol' Picnic Day fans.
With that many people enjoying the day, we thought you'd need some help deciding how to get the best out of your visit. We asked four seasoned seniors to give you their best bets.
Advice from our Underground Tour guides:
- It's a whole day of Earth-friendly consciousness
- Tom pipes up for the good, the bad and the out of tune — and Twinkies
- Erin gives a family-centered guide to the parade, free stuff and dogs
- Anna dishes out the goods on UC Davis' fashion and tie-dyeing scenes
- Adhanet offers a tour of art galleries — with a big plus: student work