As is always the case, the more than 200 events and exhibitions at Picnic Day can be a bit overwhelming. But if you want to just partake in the UC Davis arts this Saturday, April 18, there’s plenty to enjoy. And all the campus museums will be open. We also tell you how to learn about all Picnic Day events. Karen Nikos-Rose, Arts Blog Editor
UC Davis Picnic Day Fashion Show theme “Laced in Reverie” inspired by cult film
11 a.m. and 1 p.m., Makerspace Courtyard/Cruess Hall, tickets $17 pre-purchased; $18 Picnic Day
The UC Davis Fashion and Design Society, or FADS, will present “Laced in Reverie,” the 2026 Picnic Day Fashion Show, on April 18. The event will spotlight fashion created and executed by the Department of Design undergraduate students in the “Signature Collection” course.
Adele Zhang, Senior Continuing Lecturer and “Signature Collection” course instructor, is pleased to announce that the Department of Design will host the fashion show at its outdoor Makerspace Courtyard in Cruess Hall. The event will be presented live at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
“The theme we have decided on will take inspiration from the 1986 movie, Labyrinth, as we wanted to capture the Picnic Day theme of ‘Journey Home’ and encapsulate the signature designers’ overall concept of self-discovery,” said Amy Lee, FADS co-president.
“To accompany this theme, we have chosen the title, ‘Laced in Reverie.’ Reverie meaning ‘a state of being pleasantly lost in one’s thoughts or daydreams.’ We wanted to capture the elegance of the fashion show’s theme as well as the dreamlike nature of nostalgia and self-discovery in our designer’s collections to show how things are delicately laced together like clothing.”
There will be eight signature collection designers in total this year. The show will also include single and cohort garments along with new additions to the university’s acclaimed Red Dress Collection which uses fashion to bring awareness women’s heart health issues.
A reserved ticket guarantees patrons a seat at the show. Free standing room is available behind the reserved seating. Tickets are $15 until April 11, and $17 thereafter. Any remaining tickets will be $18 on Picnic Day. Advance tickets are available through the Aggie Ticket Office online at ucdavisaggies.evenue.net/events/STUD or by phone or in person Mon–Fri, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., via (530) 752-2471 or the UC Davis Health Stadium.
In conjunction with the fashion show, there will be a one-day installation that showcases each designer’s process along with their other works, including textiles, wearable technology and more.
Design Museum open
The UC Davis Design Museum in Cruess Hall will be open noon-4 p.m. for patrons to attend “Village Homes: A Radical Plan,” a 50th anniversary celebration of design experiment in community living in Davis.
The Department of Design is housed in the College of Letters and Science at UC Davis and is the only comprehensive design program within the University of California system.
-Michael G. French, College of Letters and Science
Ring in Picnic Day with Gong
Ring in this year’s Picnic Day with the Manetti Shrem Museum and help welcome back Gong, an interactive sculpture by artist William T. Wiley that heralded the museum’s groundbreaking. Gong resided on the museum’s east side from 2016 to 2022 and was joyfully played by thousands of Aggies and passers-by before heading to di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art near Napa. Gong has now made its own journey home for the museum’s 10th anniversary year and beyond. It arrived at UC Davis in 2014, prior to the museum’s groundbreaking, when it was first located in front of the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts — across from the museum site.
At 1 p.m., there will be a special ceremonial sounding as Chancellor Gary S. May rings Gong for the first time. Joining the chancellor will be special student Gong sounders Trinh Vo, chair of Picnic Day 112, and members of the museum’s Visitor Services Team and Student Advisory Board.
The museum will be open from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and offer a self-guided gallery activity through two current exhibitions. See works by more than 80 artists from UC Davis’ storied Fine Arts Collection in Backstory: Digitizing the Museum Collection, and large scale, experimental sculptures by Oakland-based artist Sahar Khoury in Weights & Measures.
Meet staff who work in the Digitization Lab within Backstory and learn about the museum’s efforts to preserve the collections and make them accessible.
Ring in this year’s Picnic Day with the Manetti Shrem Museum and help welcome back Gong, an interactive sculpture by artist William T. Wiley that heralded the museum’s groundbreaking. Gong resided on the museum’s east side from 2016 to 2022 and was joyfully played by thousands of Aggies and passers-by before heading to di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art near Napa. Gong has now made its own journey home for the museum’s 10th anniversary year and beyond.
At 1 p.m., there will be a special ceremonial sounding as Chancellor Gary S. May rings Gong for the first time. Joining the chancellor will be special student Gong sounders Trinh Vo, chair of Picnic Day 112, and members of the museum’s Visitor Services Team and Student Advisory Board.
The museum will be open from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and offer a self-guided gallery activity through two current exhibitions. See works by more than 80 artists from UC Davis’ storied Fine Arts Collection in Backstory: Digitizing the Museum Collection, and large scale, experimental sculptures by Oakland-based artist Sahar Khoury in Weights & Measures.
Meet staff who work in the Digitization Lab within Backstory and learn about the museum’s efforts to preserve the collections and make them accessible.
See if you can find the picnic-themed works of Professor of Art Emeritus Roland Petersen, who you can read about here. (He celebrated his 100th birthday recently).
Ongoing Art Exhibitions at UC Davis; all are open on Picnic Day
Battle of the Bands: 2-10 p.m., Mrak Hall lawn
This, the 112th Picnic Day, features the UC Davis Marching Band taking on various collegiate bands from across California in a long-standing tradition.
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Library has story time, collection and connection
Story time is 11:30 a.m. and many special exhibitions are on view. Read about all of them in this story.
See the full story of ALL events.