Rutgers Day is a festival held on the last Saturday in April every year at

Rutgers University Rutgers University ( ), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of three campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's C ...

Background

The event typically brings in tens of thousands of festival-goers onto Rutgers campus. Open to the general public, it offers approximately 500 free programs that feature scientific demonstrations, child-friendly interactive activities involving animals and plants, student performances, cultural traditions, exhibits, food vendors, football scrimmage, and live music. Free shuttle buses run between sites during the day. The Rutgers Day parade, led by the Marching Scarlet Knights, typically takes place starting at 10:30am along Seminary Place.

History

What is now the Rutgers Day tradition started in 1906 as an agricultural field day for farmers to learn about the

New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station The New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station (or NJAES) is an entity currently operated by Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey in conjunction with the State of New Jersey in the university's role as the state's sole land-grant university ...

and its studies. The late Linda Bassett, who worked in community affairs at the university, helped create an annual event for the state’s residents to learn about and experience the university, starting in 2009.Since that year, Ag Field Day has been held as a part of Rutgers Day.

Ag Field Day at Rutgers Day

Rutgers Agricultural Field Day, known as “Ag Field Day,” is a farm-oriented event held by the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS) at Rutgers Day on Rutgers University's Cook Campus in New Brunswick, New Jersey. The SEBS event includes

4-H 4-H is a U.S.-based network of youth organizations whose mission is "engaging youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development". Its name is a reference to the occurrence of the initial letter H four times ...

animal fairs, a petting zoo, farm tours, plant sales, evolutionary and archaeological displays, and department-specific exhibits such as the entomology department's cockroach races. The plant sale next to Bartlett Hall and the Marine Science Building, held by the Department of Plant Biology at SEBS, attracts attendees from across the region to purchase unique and popular varieties of vegetables and herbs as well as many other plants. “The selection of plants draws gardeners from three states away, resulting in a huge diversity of traditional and heirloom plants.” Tours of the

Floriculture Floriculture (from ) is the study of the efficient production of the plants that produce showy, colorful flowers and foliage for human enjoyment in human environments. It is a commercially successful branch of horticulture and agriculture found ...

Greenhouse Complex, a teaching greenhouse in the Department of Plant Biology, are also conducted.

The New Jersey Folk Festival at Rutgers Day

The New Jersey Folk Festival is an annual folk music and cultural festival held on the Douglass Campus during Rutgers Day. Traditionally held on the Great Lawn at the Wood Lawn mansion, home to the

Eagleton Institute of Politics The Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University was established in 1956 with an endowment from Florence Peshine Eagleton (1870–1953), and it focuses on state and national politics through education and public service. Ruth Mandel served ...

, in 2024 it moved to the lawn at Passion Puddle, a small pond that is said to result in a future happy marriage together for student couples who circle it three times while holding hands. Established in 1975, the New Jersey Folk Festival at Rutgers Day typically presents the traditional music, crafts, art and food vendors of the various cultural communities within the state and its surrounding region.

Other live music

In addition to the

folk festival A folk festival celebrates traditional folk crafts and folk music. This list includes folk festivals worldwide, except those with only a partial focus on folk music or arts. Folk festivals may also feature folk dance or ethnic foods. Handicra ...

, the festival is the site of other live music. WRSU 88.7 FM Rutgers Radio helps present live musical performances by various local bands and other acts on stage at the festival's

College Avenue Campus College Avenue is the oldest campus of Rutgers University – New Brunswick, in New Brunswick, New Jersey, U.S. It includes the historic seat of the university, known as Old Queens and the campus of the New Brunswick Theological Seminary. ...

. Performers from the university's arts conservatory, Mason Gross, entertain audiences as well.

Science, business and health care

In addition to the biological and environmental scientific displays on Cook Campus, technology, business, engineering, medical, health care, chemistry, physics and other scientific exhibits and activities are typically held at Busch Campus.

Athletics at Rutgers Day

The Athletics Department offers activities on

in the grassy

Voorhees Mall Voorhees Mall is a large grassy area with stately shade trees on a block (sometimes known as "Voorhees Campus") of about 28 acres (0.11 km2) located on the College Avenue Campus of Rutgers University near downtown New Brunswick, New Jersey. ...

area during Rutgers Day, with student-athletes from some of Rutgers' 24 varsity sports present along with mascot Sir Henry, the Scarlet Knight.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights football The Rutgers Scarlet Knights football program represents Rutgers University in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA). Rutgers competes as a member of the Big Ten Conference. Prior to joining t ...

kicks off its Scarlet-White Spring Game, a free pre-season spring scrimmage event, toward the afternoon conclusion of each Rutgers Day at

SHI Stadium SHI Stadium is the football stadium at Rutgers University in Piscataway, New Jersey. Rutgers Scarlet Knights football, Rutgers Scarlet Knights men's lacrosse, and women's lacrosse use the venue for home games. It is located on the Busch Campu ...

on Busch Campus. The event has featured a pre-game “Rutgers Boardwalk” carnival-style area at the stadium with rides and games. The event includes a university marching band performance by the Marching Scarlet Knights.

Museums and other tours

Tours of the Zimmerli Art Museum and the Rutgers Geology Museum are conducted at the event.

References

External links

Rutgers Day Website