Picnic Day lasts for approximately 16 hours and there are literally hundreds of activities and events to check out before the sun sets on this action-packed day. What’s a poor picnicker to do? Take a look at The California Aggie’s top five Picnic Day events for a taste of what Picnic Day has to offer.
Picnic Day Parade
It wouldn’t be Picnic Day without the parade, a colorful collection of over 70 local organizations that winds its way through campus and downtown from 10 a.m. to noon. Stake out a spot along the parade route or gather around one of the five announcement stages to catch all the action.
Interspersed among the various clubs and groups will be the UC San Diego Pep Band, University of San Francisco Dons Marching Band and UC Davis’ own California Aggie Marching Band-Uh! to provide a soundtrack to the festivities. The Band-Uh!’s performance made Picnic Day entertainment director Mac Walker’s list of top things to see on Saturday.
“I watched the Band-Uh! practicing the other day and I think they’ll be a very cool performance to watch. I’m very excited to see the parade having never seen it before myself,” Walker said.
Doxie Derby
There may not be anything cuter than watching tiny dachshunds attempt to race each other across the Activities and Recreation Center (ARC) Pavilion amid the cheers of hundreds of onlookers. That has to be the reason why this annual show, hosted by the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine for more than 30 years, remains more popular than ever.
Dogs are divided into heats based on weight. The competitors run 100 feet across the Pavilion floor, and the fastest move on to the next round. The winning dachshund will receive a trophy and, presumably, bragging rights at the dog park for the rest of the year.
Picnic Day animal events director Jenny Fong encouraged arriving early to secure a seat at the Derby, which is free and lasts from noon to 3 p.m.
Hutchison Field activities
Dog lovers not satisfied with the Doxie Derby can head next door to Hutchison Field for a day of learning about various breeds and admiring their skills.
The Disc Dogs of the Golden Gate will flip and fly at 2 and 3 p.m., and catch the Sheepdog Trials from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Fong recommended puckering up at the Kiss a Pit Bull station from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
“You won’t have many opportunities to kiss a pit bull. It’s one of those one-of-a-kind experiences,” Fong said.
Silo Stage
Musicians and performers of every style will perform throughout the day on stages at the ARC, East Quad and in front of Wellman Hall, but Walker said he’s most excited about the groups lined up at the Silo stage.
“There’s a lot of hip hop this year so I’m excited about some of the performers playing on that stage. I think they’ll do a really good job of satisfying that genre of music,” Walker said.
Rapper Micky Cho kicks things off at 11:40 a.m., followed by fellow emcees Julian Newman, Emcee Cloud and Base 135. Davis Flamenco brings a Latin flair to the stage at 2:10 p.m., and Makosa brings Afro jazz fusion at 2:40 p.m. Rounding out the day is electronic rock group Solwave and hip hop duo The Associates.
Signature Collections Fashion Show
Student work will be on display throughout Picnic Day, but nowhere else will visitors see a sample of that work walk down the runway at Freeborn Hall. Who knows, the next Coco Chanel may be debuting her first collection.
The Runway Designers Club hosts the show every year, which features students from the textiles and fashion emphasis of the UC Davis design program. These budding fashionistas will present their own original collections, modeled by fellow students. The show will also feature a single garment competition in the categories of personal expression and sustainability.
Senior English major Sapphire Delaney will strut her stuff as a model this year after seeing the show last year.
“I loved seeing the different designers, and I just like fashion,” Delaney said.
Pick up free tickets at Walker Hall at 10 a.m. The show runs from 1 to 2:30 p.m.
ERIN MIGDOL can be reached at features@theaggie.org.
