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Each year, UC Irvine invites the community, alumni, prospective students and their families to visit the campus, learn more about the university, and enjoy food, games and entertainment along the way.

Thousands are expected to participate in the 27th annual “Celebrate UCI� Saturday, April 16. The all-day campus open house welcomes all ages with events that include an Earth Day celebration, a classic car show and a medieval festival in Aldrich Park. Campus tram tours and information sessions will be held throughout the day to introduce prospective students and their families to academic life at UCI.

Aldrich Park festivities:

The Wayzgoose Medieval Faire, now in its 34th year, features costumed knights, minstrels, musicians and jugglers. More than 100 clubs and organizations offer multicultural foods, crafts and games in booths throughout the park, as dancers and bands perform on two stages. Nearby, a petting zoo, pony rides, carnival games and a children’s stage provide entertainment for kids. This 10 a.m.-5 p.m. event, among UCI’s oldest traditions, is sponsored by the Associated Students of UCI.

The Earth Day celebration include educational booths, Earth-friendly vendors, electric vehicles, non-profit organizations, and the Dionysus film festival highlighting social and environmental concerns. The celebration runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., but the day kicks off at 7 a.m. with hundreds of local schoolchildren participating in clean-up and restoration activities around Orange County as part of National Youth Service Day. UCI Earth Day is sponsored by the UCI Volunteer Center.

The 7th annual Car Show on the Green, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., features more than $1 million-worth of classic cars. Fifteen awards will be given in categories such as best in show, best paint and people’s choice. The show is sponsored by the UCI Police Department.

Tours:

Campus tram and walking tours will be held throughout the day. Guided walking tours include visits to UCI’s housing communities, the Anteater Recreation Center, athletics facilities, Claire Trevor School of the Arts, and the libraries.

Academic information:

Sessions on various undergraduate programs will be held from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.; academic counselors and student advisors will be available from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Additionally, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., booths will provide information about UC Irvine Extension, Graduate School of Management and the Department of Education programs.

For new and prospective Anteaters:

Information sessions will be offered on the Campuswide Honors Program, undergraduate research opportunities and transferring to UCI. In addition, admissions, financial aid and housing offices will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. At noon and 1 p.m., prospective students can learn more about the First Year Excellence Program Hall.

Events new this year to Celebrate UCI:

• Cross-Cultural Center open house, 9:30-11 a.m.
• Alumni Association hospitality tent, Aldrich Park, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
• “A Slice of Teaching� Department of Education open house, with free pizza and information about teaching programs, Berkeley Place, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
• “Architextures,� part of a series of dances performed at specific sites around campus designed to bring dance to audiences outside the theater, directed by UCI dance M.F.A. candidate Diedre Cavazzi, on the bridge between the School of Humanities and the Student Center, 12:30 p.m.
• “Jammin’ with GarageBand� demonstration using GarageBand computer software, with Robert Hall of the band Mimensis, UCI Bookstore, 1-3 p.m.

Admission and parking for Celebrate UCI are free. For more information, call (949) 824-5182 or visit www.uci.edu/celebrate.

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About the University of California, Irvine: The University of California, Irvine is a top-ranked public university dedicated to research, scholarship and community service. Founded in 1965, UCI is among the fastest-growing University of California campuses, with more than 24,000 undergraduate and graduate students and about 1,400 faculty members. The second-largest employer in dynamic Orange County, UCI contributes an annual economic impact of $3 billion.