It’s hard to imagine there might be people out there who’ve never heard of UC Davis’ annual open house, Picnic Day, but in case that’s true, Here’s what you need to know:

Picnic Day, the third Saturday in April, is when anybody who has ever lived in Davis or attended UCD comes back to town and wanders around campus and downtown. It includes a giant parade in the morning and events and exhibitions all over the place. The parade starts with words from the chancellor and the Picnic Day parade marshals, followed by a performance by the California Aggie Marching Band-Uh.

Two of the highlights of Picnic Day are the Battle of the Bands and the Doxie Derby. Student bands and dance groups can be seen on any of the various stages. The event tries to capture many things that are quintessentially Davis. It is an agricultural showcase and open house for school organizations.

Picnic Day is run by students and is believed to be the largest student-run event in the country.

Picnic Day got its start in 1909, when the then-University Farm invited folks from the community to check out its dairy barn. About 2,000 people turned up with picnic lunches. Fast-forward to the modern event where as many as 100,000 visitors have to flooded the campus and the community.

Picnic Day features more than 200 events; many are tried-and-true favorites and others are new this year. Most activities take place between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

This year’s Picnic Day will be on Saturday, April 20.

— http://asucd.ucdavis.edu/units/picnic-day

battle of bandsW

doxie derbyW

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