For junior Vita Ng, Picnic Day isn't just about horsing around. It's about dogs and cats, pythons and parrots, sheep and goats, iguanas and bearded dragons, and -- of course -- the cows.

The animal science major is riding herd on about 40 events involving hundreds of animals for the campus's annual open house to be held rain or shine Saturday, April 17.

Now in its 90th year, Picnic Day is believed to be the largest student-run event in the nation and is expected to draw about 50,000 people to campus for not only the animals but also departmental exhibits, children's activities, music and athletic contests. More than 150 events are set.

Moving toward exotic animals

As animal events director, Ng has worked to add some flare to the lineup of educational programs and entertaining competitions that usually showcase pets and farm animals. "I've been trying to get a little more exotic."

Pythons, iguanas and bearded dragons will be among the species involved in two presentations by the Northern California Herpetological Society. A noon presentation will focus on their care and handling as pets, and one at 2 p.m. will discuss reptiles in the wild. Both presentations will take place in Room 1350 of Surge III.

The Avian and Exotics Medicine Club will host an open house offering opportunities to learn about pet birds, reptiles and mammals. It takes place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., also in 1350 Surge III.

Sophia Yin, a 1993 alumna of the vet school and an award-winning pet columnist, will present an animal behavior lecture, titled "Training Chickens, Goats and Giraffes," at 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. in room 106 of Wellman Hall.

Several events will also foster responsible pet ownership with, for example, lectures on dog obedience and the characteristics of different dog and cat breeds. Animal shelters and rescue programs will share information on dogs, cats and rabbits available for adoption.

Animal competitions include a polo match, a Frisbee dog contest, sheep dog trials, Jack Russell terrier races and the 31st running of the dachshund races, which will feature the action not only on jumbo screens but also from a camera mounted on a dachshund. Demos and displays include horse breeding, draft-horse driving, goat and cow milking, and chick hatching.

Four profs as parade marshals

Picnic Day opening ceremonies will be held at 9:30 a.m., and a parade will begin its way through campus and downtown Davis about 10:10 a.m. Serving as marshals will be Klea Bertakis, professor and chair of the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the medical center; Stylianos Spyridakis, a UC Davis history professor credited with helping to establish the history department at the University of Crete; Niels Pedersen, director of both the Veterinary Genetics Laboratory and Center for Companion Animal Health; and Frederick Murphy, a professor in the School of Veterinary Medicine and the first person to image the Ebola virus.

Among the other events:

• The popular Multicultural Children's Faire and Children's Zone will offer crafts, science activities, storytelling and entertainment for kids.
• Seven entertainment stages will highlight a range of music and dance, and there will be more than 25 special events including the Moot Court Competition, Chemistry Magic Show, College Bowl Exhibition Match and Battle of the Marching Bands.
• Tours of the new $46.5 million Activities and Recreation Center from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The facility is scheduled to open for use Monday.
• Local bands will compete for a $1,000 grand prize in the first Davis Rock Challenge. The event will begin at 7:30 p.m. in Freeborn Hall, and the $5 tickets can be purchased from the UC Davis Ticket Office in the hall or via Tickets.com.

All other events and parking are free. For more, see http://picnicday.ucdavis.edu.