Annual Events

Some of the regular events in town occur on a yearly basis. Dates provided are the last time an event was held or when an upcoming event is scheduled, to give an idea of when the event might happen.

You also might want to check out the festivals in town, although the annual ones are listed here.

• Pig Day - March 1st.
  

• Pi Day - March 14th.
  

• Relay for Life - Join us in the fight against cancer and help support the American Cancer Society, http://acsevents.org/relay/ca/ucdavis. April 4-5, 2009.
  

• Soaring to New Heights - Multicultural celebration of diversity - food & music ($). April 14, 2009.
  

• Picnic Day - Like Picnic Day or not, it goes without saying that this is the biggest day of the year for Davis (at least areas near Campus). The streets are littered with people, families come visit the Campus from back home, and there's constantly something going on somewhere. This is the UCD open house. For students at UC Davis Picnic Day probably means they'll see the Campus busier than ever and probably end up drinking more than they usually do. For alumni it means they get to see what various departments are up to and enjoy a day back at their alma mater. Usually the third Saturday of April.
  

• Native American Culture Days - One of the CCC Culture Days with a Pow Wow on the first weekend back from spring break. April 2-8, 2011.
  

• Asian Pacific Culture Week - April 20-24, 2009.
  

• La Raza Cultural Days - Chicano/Latino cultural week culminating with La Gran Tardeada on Saturday. April 27-May 2, 2009.
  

• Black Family Week - Culminates in Black Family Day on the last day. May 11-16, 2009.
  

• Disability Pride Week - Each April at UC Davis.
  

• KDVS Fundraiser - Every year KDVS tries to raise a ton of money. Their programming gets more intense, DJs do on-air stunts, and KDVS-pride seems to come out in everybody (well, at least in the form of t-shirts). Around April.
  

• Whole Earth Festival - Ultimate ecologically-friendly festival that always coincides with Mother's Day.
  

• Dixon May Fair - Mother's Day weekend in Dixon.
  

• Relevant Dinner - Annual charity fundraiser at Davis Manor Shopping Center parking lot featuring local food/drink vendors & entertainment. May 7, 2009 (event was cancelled, though)
  

• Celebrate Davis - An annual community celebration and carnival held in May featuring booths by local organizations, sponsored by the Davis Chamber of Commerce. Fireworks!
  

• Davis Cyclebration - Free citywide celebration of human powered vehicles and cycling; occurs annually each spring.
  

• Bike Auction - Biannual TAPS bicycle auction, usually in early May.
  

• Davis Bike to Work Breakfast - During May is Bike Month.
  

• Davis Double Century - Nationally acclaimed, 200 mile, one-day cycling event. Held on the third Saturday in May.
  

• Burning Bike Festival - Last Friday in May (after the Critical Mass ride).
  

• Older Americans Month - During the month of May.
  

• UC Davis Film Festival - Annual film festival of original films and videos directed, shot and acted by UC Davis students ($). May 27-28, 2009.
  

• Spring Family Fiesta - Held every April or May at the Peregrine School, the Spring Fiesta is a wonderful family-oriented party open to everyone in the community. The Fiesta features dance and music by the children, live performances by local bands, traditional Mexican food, activities and entertainment for the kids and a wonderful silent auction.
  

• Tour de Cluck - An annual bicycle tour of Davis chicken coops in mid-May organized as a fundraiser for Davis Farm to School Connection

• Cheerleading Camp - When a zillion high-school cheerleaders descend on UC Davis. UCA camps were held in July and August, 2009.
  

• Davis Beer Festival - early June, put on by Citizens Who Care and hosted by Sudwerk
  

• Gay Pride Day - June 10, 2007.
  

• California Kids Triathlon - August 9, 2009 in Woodland. A Davis Kids Triathlon was held on August 13, 2006.
  

• West Coast AAU Junior Olympic Games - Young athletes from all over the west coast come to compete in 9 separate sporting events. Held in Davis in 2006 and 2007 but moved to Reno for 2008 and 2009.
  

• Epic Quad Battle - June 6, 2007.
  

• Davis Criterium Classic - Popular cycling race held annually on July 4 in downtown Davis
  

• July 4th Fireworks - Annual fireworks show
  

• California State Fair - Mid-July to early August. July 14-August 1, 2010.
  

• Yolo County Fair - August
  

• Village Feast - Slow Food Yolo presents "The Village Feast", the last Saturday in August each year at Davis Central Park. Held under the Sycamore trees around a communal table, the feast is done in the tradition of a Provençal Grand Aïoli, with a similar menu, fresh from the seas of Northern California and fields of Yolo County. The event benefits the Davis Farm to School Connection http://www.davisfarmtoschool.org

• Chancellor's Convocation
  

• Davis Neighbors Night Out- A college-town's twist on National Night out. Get to know your fellow neighbors/students.
  

• Hoes Down - First weekend of October
  

• Causeway Classic - November 8, 2009.
  

• Bike Auction - Biannual TAPS bicycle auction, usually in mid-October.
  

• Foxy's Fall Century - 50 km, 100 km or 100 mile cycling event. October 17, 2009.
  

• Halloween Caroling
  

• National Novel Writing Month Write 50,000 words of a novel with other Davisites during the month of November.
  

• Blues Harvest Annual event sponsored by Friends of Adult Day Health Care. Always held the first Friday in November. Excellent blues music, delicious food and wine benefiting Yolo Adult Day Health Center.
  

• Turkey Trot - Annual foot race (5k/10k) held near Thanksgiving, very popular. November 21, 2009.
  

• Davis is Burning - Annual drag show/competition put on by Delta Lambda Phi and Lambda Delta Lambda.
  

• Pride Week - A week celebrating and educating about LGBTIQQA life/culture/everything! Put on annually with the help of the LGBTRC and the queer organization on campus.

• Holiday Tree Lighting - Early December.
  

• Davis Children's Nutcracker - This tradition started in 1978, the brainchild of now-City Promotions Manager (then head of Parks & Community Services), Bob Bowen with 50 children putting on a Nutcracker like none you've ever seen. Now it has mushroomed to 200 participants, with so many wanting to be involved that selection is by lottery and unless you are related to one of the participants, it's virtually impossible to get a ticket because they sell out immediately.
  

• Holiday Meal - December 24th.
  

• New Year's Day - January 1st.
  

• Davis Stampede - 5K Run/Walk, 10K Run/Walk, Half Marathon. February 8, 2009.
  

• Artists Valentines - An annual art exhibition and silent auction at the Buehler Alumni and Visitors Center to raise funds for the Nelson Art Gallery. Concludes before Valentines Day.
  

• Generation Sex Week - Frequently held in winter (near Valentines), this week is dedicated to sex-positive talk, education, information, and play. Organized and funded by GASC.
  

• Winter Concert - Fourth weekend in February (usually) - An annual fund-raising event for Citizens Who Care, Yolo County's social services and respite support agency for the frail elderly. Talented regional performers sing songs by a highlighted broadway composer, with music accompaniment. Tickets on sale in January. Call 758-3704
  

• ASUCD Housing Day- Where the apartment search begins. See also Tandemonium and Sequoia Fest
  

• California Duck Days- Held every February, beginning with a free wildlife art show reception and culminating in Duck Days, a wetlands festival in the heart of the Pacific Flyway

• Cardozorama - Variety show held by School of Law students