Picnic Day details
April 18
- 7:30 a.m. 26th Annual CAAA Picnic Day Pancake Breakfast
- 9:30 a.m. Opening ceremonies — North Quad Avenue across from Wickson Hall
- 10:10 a.m. Parade
For more, go to the Picnic Day 2009 site.
Students offer insider views for enjoying it all
A little something for everyone
Flash video (1 min 52 sec)
Videography by Michael Oki; reported by Courtney Yuen
Michael Oki, multimedia intern, is a fifth-year double major in communication and technocultural studies from Concord. Courtney Yuen is a freshman majoring in linguistics.
Download Adobe Flash (free)
Picnic with the entire school
Flash video, 2 min 09 sec
Videography and reporting by Nicki Sun
Nicki Sun, marketing intern, is a third year student from Fremont, Calif., double-majoring in communication and English and minoring in contemporary leadership.
Just what do students advise for celebrating the past and current Picnic Day? Between these videos and first-hand reports, you will get the straight answer: The food, the parade, the fashion show, free stuff, Battle of the Bands, the “wiener dog” competition, the dance competition … oh, they want to emphasize again, “the food!”
It’s only fitting that students are your guide. UC Davis’ Picnic Day is the largest student-run event in the U.S. In recent years, more than 100,000 visitors — students, alumni, parents and fans — have come to Davis for the festivities.
These essays and videos also show how our students connect to their alma mater through participating in our annual open house. In particular, take a look at the slideshow developed by Danai Sakatukwa, who dug up a number of vintage photos to show what has remained constant through the changes in the past century.
In organizing this year’s event, the Picnic Day student directors faced high expectations, thanks to the centennial: UC Davis first opened our doors to students in 1908 — we’re still in our centennial year — and Picnic Day was launched in 1909.
We asked five student reporters to show how they discovered the Aggie spirit in Picnic Day. Besides the videos above, here are stories to help you make the most of your day during our open house.
- More than 200 events, exhibits showcase Aggie achievements, by Caitlin Cobb
- Reflections on Picnic Days past and present, by Danai Sakatukwa
- Start with the parade, proceed to the Quad, by Samantha Dullea
- Legends, facts and furloughs, by Dateline staff
On the UC Davis home page: This early photo from before 1920 shows the parade going down East Quad. The float sports a sign, “Fairies found in milk,” and is being pulled by horses as students hang out the second-floor dormitory rooms. (UC Davis archival photo)