CITY OF DAVIS ANNOUNCES MAJOR PUBLIC SAFETY AND ENFORCEMENT CHANGES FOR PICNIC DAY 2026
by: Jenny Tan, City of Davis
To help support a safe and enjoyable day for everyone, the City of Davis will be expanding its communications and public safety operations for Picnic Day 2026.
UC Davis will hold the 112th Picnic Day on Saturday, April 18, on the UC Davis campus and feature more than 200 activities. While most events occur on campus, Picnic Day brings added energy and activity citywide.
Picnic Day 2026 includes major operational changes and increased resources for the City of Davis to better support coordination and public safety across the community. The major changes for 2026 include:
- The Davis Police Department (Davis PD) will double its staffing, calling on multiple mutual aid partners. The City will also deploy additional traffic control measures with barricades to address large crowds and position field resources to support faster response times.
- Enforcement of laws will be a key focus on Picnic Day this year. Police officers will be prepared to take early and consistent enforcement action to promote safety and reinforce behavior expectations.
- The City will implement a full prohibition on special event permits on Picnic Day. No City of Davis special event permit will be issued for April 18, 2026, to reduce congestion, improve emergency response times and minimize risk associated with overlapping crowds.
- The City has been notifying organizations, agencies and user groups that may host events on private property or public locations with use agreements about conditions on Picnic Day. These groups are being advised that response resources may be limited at times. Event hosts and sites should plan accordingly in terms of preparation and oversight.
- Davis PD have been and will enforce alcohol service regulations at bars and restaurants and have a pre-event meeting with all bars downtown with the State’s Alcohol Beverage Control Departmen
- The City has secured regional support from the Sacramento Regional Incident Management Team and will use UAS (drones) for situational awareness throughout the day.
- Safety Enhancement Zones (SEZs) will continue during Picnic Day and within these zones, certain Municipal Code violations will carry increased fines during the event period. Alcohol-related violations, such as open container, public intoxication and furnishing alcohol to minors will be strictly enforced.
- The City will activate its Emergency Operations Center to monitor conditions and support an elevated response if needed.
- City of Davis Fire Department operations will also be expanded to help meet increased call volume.
- The City and UC Davis have been meeting since Picnic Day 2025 to improve coordination and public safety planning.
- UC Davis PD will assist Davis PD staffing posts on the parade route within city limits to allow Davis police officers more availability to respond to calls for service and to engage in proactive, safety-focused enforcement. The parade route will also be shortened by one block to support staffing and operational efficiency.
- Staff from the university and Davis PD will meet with sorority and fraternity leaders about expectations for responsible behavior, fines and enforcement in the city on Picnic Day. The campus is also sending information to leaders of all registered student organization.
- The City and UC Davis will also be encouraging all participants to celebrate responsibly and with respect for others with “Shared Commitments for Safe Celebration” and a joint Picnic Day pledge, reinforcing shared expectations for safety, courtesy and compliance.
The City will be sharing information with the public through e-notifications, social media, utility bill inserts and more as Picnic Day approaches. More information about these items and other efforts can be found on the City of Davis’ webpage on Picnic Day at www.cityofdavis.org/picnicday.
