Caltopia is a free, two-day college lifestyle festival that takes place annually at the
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...
in the Recreational Sports Facility (RSF) and according to the organizers of the event is the largest college lifestyle festival in the United States.
The first Caltopia was started in 2003 as an opportunity to bring together local and national businesses, students, alumni, faculty, staff and community members from the Berkeley area. Each year approximately 100 sponsors and exhibitors and 30,000 students, faculty, and community supporters attend.
Since its inception, Caltopia has evolved into an annual
rite of passage
A rite of passage is a ceremony or ritual of the passage which occurs when an individual leaves one group to enter another. It involves a significant change of status in society. In cultural anthropology the term is the Anglicisation of ''rite ...
for Cal students to bond with friends, over food, games, and fun. Each year Caltopia is the first experience for new students who move into the Residence Halls and then head to Caltopia as the first event of Welcome Week. Additionally, Caltopia is often referred to as "The Two Greatest Days on Planet Earth" by its promoters and organizers.
Naming
The name Caltopia combines the prefix 'Cal' derived from the abbreviation of California, as in
University of California
The University of California (UC) is a public land-grant research university system in the U.S. state of California. The system is composed of the campuses at Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, San Franci ...
and the suffix 'topia' meaning in a place or location. However, Caltopia is strongly associated with connotations of a
utopia
A utopia ( ) typically describes an imaginary community or society that possesses highly desirable or nearly perfect qualities for its members. It was coined by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book '' Utopia'', describing a fictional island societ ...
of riches and opportunity characteristic of California.
Numbering
Caltopia typically makes uses of
Roman numerals rather than writing the year following Caltopia. As such, Caltopia VIII designates that Caltopia is entering its 8th year.
References
External links
www.caltopia.berkeley.edu
{{University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
Festivals in the San Francisco Bay Area
2002 establishments in California