The Davis Police Department announced it would be enacting a temporary increase in fees for certain ordinance violations within the designated “safety zone” for the upcoming Picnic Day celebrations.

Since the inaugural festival in May 1909, Picnic Day has set its legacy in stone as the headline event for UC Davis and its surrounding community. The annual open house, which made an in-person return in 2022 after the COVID-19 pandemic, now attracts people from all over California who wish to take a peek at what various university departments provide. The upcoming 111th Picnic Day is set for Saturday.

Top exhibits or events slated to return in 2025 include the beloved Doxie Derby, the Chemistry Department Magic Show, the Lazer Maze, the frisbee dog throwing contest on Hutchinson Field, the Student Organization Fair, which has recently become one of the most favored events, and many more.

The Picnic Day Parade will also return and cruise through downtown Davis.

To prepare for the annual event, Davis Police announced starting on Friday at 6:00 p.m. until Sunday, April 13 at 6:00 a.m. there are double the fines for violations of the City’s open container, noise, smoking and public urination ordinances within the “Safety Enhancement Zone.”

The zone’s boundaries extend from Shasta Drive and Arlington Boulevard to the west, Covell Boulevard to the north, Pole Line Road to the east and Russell Boulevard and A Street/Union Pacific Railroad tracks to the south. The entirety of Slide Hill Park in east Davis and Walnut Park in South Davis are also part of the zone.

Most of the fines for violations within the safety zone will be over $600 per violation, according to the announcement from the police department.

For more information on Picnic Day, go to the event’s website at https://picnicday.ucdavis.edu/.