How to Picnic Day

Life always seems a little less interesting the week after Picnic Day. It’s a lot quieter, for sure. After four of these mid-April days, I have experienced much of the hectic annual event, from working as an Assistant Director to fundraising with my club, from catching the most famous shows to, sadly, standing in front of a sheet of printed paper stating, “SOLD OUT,” all the while crying on the inside. For those of you undergrads planning on attending a few more of them, I’ll impart some wisdom for future reference. And for those who still don’t know what Picnic Day is, I shall start off with a brief history.

credits: flickr / leiris202

A hundred years or so ago, Picnic Day was literally a picnic. On May 22^nd, 1909, the University Farm invited the community to take a look at their newly built dairy barn. Even with their sole exhibit of milk and cheese products, over 3,000 attended, bringing their picnic baskets to complement the complementary coffee, sugar, and cream (most likely provided by the cows). Since this inaugural event, Picnic Day has become the largest student-run event in the country, with an average of 50,000 in attendance, and an all-time high of 125,000 in 2009. It has evolved into one big open-house for our campus, in which various departments and student groups put on shows, activities, or competitions to share with the public the richness in diversity and achievement of UC Davis.

The following is a list of tips and tricks, collected over four years, by yours truly:

1. Wear sunscreen and apply lip balm with SPF. Your skin wants love too.

2. Hydrate with H₂O. Or electrolyte-enhanced beverages. Really, just anything that doesn’t rhyme with “–cohol.”

3. Unless you plan on plowing your bike through people, you will be walking the entire day. My suggestion: sneakers (or close-toed flat shoes, ladies). Something you can run in would be perfect. Flippy floppies are easy to lose, especially when someone behind may walk into you at any moment. As for sandals, nails chip off relatively easily when someone’s rubber sole comes in contact with your toes (cringing yet?). I have painfully suffered the consequences of this two years ago.

4. Whip out those shades, and protect your lovely eyes. Also conveniently helps to avoid awkward conversations with people whose names you’ve forgotten, if you need to further disguise yourself amongst the sea of people (yes, you are bound to see a few of your high school classmates).

5. Skip Farmer’s Market. You have plenty of opportunities throughout the year to sample bolani, or sip on some half-frozen raw apple juice. Which I totally recommend on any other Saturday morning, by the way.

6. Our campus is huge. But you already knew that. Some buildings are a good 15-minute walk away from each other. Plan accordingly.

7. Mark the restrooms, in your mind or on a schedule of events. Your go-to bathroom throughout the quarter may not be open to the public. Yes, the ladies’ line will be long. No, you shouldn’t hold it in for the whole day. And please, don’t do it in the bushes.

8. It’s easy to lose your friends or family members. Stick together!

9. Food is not cheap on this day, especially on the Quad, where many student campus groups will be selling a variety of delicious delectables. To save money, eat a meal before, or head over to the DC for all you can eat. Then again, who can’t spare a five for their favorite club?

10. If you hate crowds, stay home. But if you’ve gotten this far, I’m assuming you’re still interested about Picnic Day in all its glory. Read on.

Picnic Day Events

1. They are all free!

2. However, some frequently mentioned and well-known shows require tickets for entrance, such as the Chemistry Magic Show and the Laser Maze (didn’t say so online when I checked the night before, but trust me, you need tickets). If you plan on going to any of these events, line up significantly early before the event starts.

3. UC Davis is known for their animal science. So of course, there are tons of animal exhibits. Hit Meyer Hall to pet some day-old chicks, or if you’re lucky, witness the hatching of a baby bird! At the Cole Facility just across the street, you can milk a cow (I highly recommend it), and pet baby sheep, goats, calves, and foals.

4. Marine creatures will be found in the Science Laboratory Building and you can touch most of the aquatic animals housed in the tanks, while insect and arachnid exhibits are held in both Briggs and Storer Hall. There are also some really fun and interesting insect activities available at Briggs Hall.

5. Speaking of Briggs Hall, honey tasting is held in the courtyard, and it is an exhibit worth carving out ten minutes for. For better or worse, you will never see honey the same way again.

6. The Doxie Derby (wiener dogs racing to the finish line), Sheep Dog Trial, and Frisbee Dog Contest located near the ARC or on Hutchison Field are perfect as a break or filler, since seating is plenty and none require waiting in line.

7. There are many events or performances that are only shown for an allotted time period, or at certain hours. Plan around these if you want to catch them!

8. If you want a free plant or two, stop by Storer Hall before they run out.

9. Ice cream and sorbet just tastes better when it’s made right before your eyes (and free). Be sure to get your  sample next to Bainer Hall, provided by the amazing chemical properties of liquid nitrogen.

10. Enjoy watching choreographed dancing? Then don’t miss out on DDR, also known as Davis Dance Revolution. This three-hour performance is always hosted the night of Picnic Day, and the participating teams practice all year round for the $1000 grand prize. Tickets to this show aren’t free, however, as it is not technically part of Picnic Day.

There are hundreds of more shows and exhibits, which you can view online at picnicday.ucdavis.edu under schedule of events. Hopefully your next Picnic Day will be jam-packed with memories of all the events you wanted to attend!