Parent to parent: It’s Picnic Day, not parents day

By John Corrigan

We started hearing about Picnic Day almost from the moment our son was accepted at UC Davis. We heard about it on the campus tour. We heard about it from friends who live near the university and from Davis alums. “You have to go to Picnic Day!” was the common refrain.

We were eager to go at our first chance two years ago, when our son Kevin was a freshman. But he wasn’t exactly encouraging — something about having plans with friends. Last year, my wife was away on a trip, but I was not to be dissuaded. After all the hype, how could I miss Picnic Day?

Kevin generously agreed to spend the day with me touring the campus and taking in the Picnic Day festivities. We checked out the campus radio station where he works, saw the famed dachshund races in the gym, and walked and walked (and walked!) from one thing to another. You don’t realize how big the campus is until you’ve traversed it a few times.

All in all, it was a fun day. But for those of you wondering whether it’s the equivalent of a parents day or parents weekend, be advised: It’s not.

To be sure, there were plenty of moms and dads being squired around, but most students seemed unburdened by plodding parental units in their socks and sandals. That especially seemed the case as we veered off campus for some Middle Eastern shawarma and falafel that afternoon, passing a few house parties along the way. They may call it Picnic Day, but it appears to morph into Party Night.

As it happened, I had booked a flight up and back the same day — and was glad I did. Don’t get me wrong: Picnic Day is a terrific event and a good way to get a glimpse of the campus with its hair down. But the day seems more geared toward the students, alumni and the Davis community than for visiting parents. My advice to parents would be simple: Just like at any other picnic, you shouldn’t linger past sunset.

Editor’s note: Maria Zalesky, the new director of parent programs, is developing programming for parents, including a fall event. On Picnic Day, you can meet her from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Alumni Zone on the West Quad.