Pioneer Days (Chico, California)

{{Infobox holiday

|holiday_name = Pioneer Day

|type = historical/cultural

|longtype = local, historical, cultural

|image =

|caption =

|official_name = Pioneer Day

|nickname =

|observedby = Chicoans

|begins =

|ends =

|week_ordinal = first

|weekday = Saturday

|month = May

|date2021 = 1 May

|date2022 = 7 May

|date2023 = 6 May

|celebrations = Pioneer Day Parade

|duration = 7 days

|scheduling = nth weekday of the month

|frequency = annual

|observances =

|relatedto =

}}

Pioneer Days is the historical name of an annual community event in Chico, California celebrated the week prior to Pioneer Day, the first Saturday in May. Chico has a history of "May Day Parades" dating back to the late 19th century.

In 1915, the first parade that would later come to be called the Pioneer Day Parade was held on the downtown streets of Chico as a celebration of Chico Normal School's Senior Day.{{cite web|last1=TauGammaTheta|title=History of Pioneer Days|url=http://www.taugammatheta.com/historyofpweek.htm|website=TauGammaTheta.com|accessdate=26 June 2014}} This tradition would continue as a celebration of local heritage under various names including Rancho Chico Days, and Celebration of People.

In 1922, a fun-loving Whiskerino club in Sacramento extended a "charter" to William Mclaughlin of Chico.{{Cite web |title=University Policy on Pioneer Days-like Events – Office of the President |url=https://www.csuchico.edu/pres/em/1990/90-058.shtml |access-date=2024-03-15 |website=www.csuchico.edu |language=en}}

In 1986 Playboy Magazine named Chico State the "Number One Party School" in the nation.{{Cite news |last=Gardner |first=MIchael |date=1986-11-19 |title=Party school? Playboy ranks CSU No. 1 (part one) |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/enterprise-record-party-school-playboy/141737891/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240221012531/https://www.newspapers.com/article/enterprise-record-party-school-playboy/141737891/ |archive-date=February 21, 2024 |access-date=2024-02-21 |work=Enterprise-Record |pages=1}}{{Cite news |last=Gardner |first=Michael |date=1986-11-19 |title=Party School? Playboy ranks CSU No. 1 (part two) |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/enterprise-record-party-school-playboy/141738207/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240221012915/https://www.newspapers.com/article/enterprise-record-party-school-playboy/141738207/ |archive-date=February 21, 2024 |access-date=2024-02-21 |work=Enterprise-Record |pages=10}} University President Robin Wilson met with city officials including City Manager Fred Davis, and Police Chief, John Bullerjahn with the goal of transforming the reputation by ending the parties directly with police intervention. The following year Playboy sent a photographer to Chico State to photograph female students for its "Women of the Top Party Colleges" pictorial as part of its annual Back to School issue.{{Cite news |last=Hennessey |first=Virginia |date=1987-02-24 |title=Playboy photographer due Wednesday |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/enterprise-record-playboy-photographer-d/141741595/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240221022000/https://www.newspapers.com/article/enterprise-record-playboy-photographer-d/141741595/ |archive-date=February 21, 2024 |access-date=2024-02-21 |work=Enterprise-Record |pages=8}} On 25 April, riots broke out between revelers and police during the Pioneer Days celebration, prompting President Wilson to cancel all further events that year.{{Cite news |date=1987-04-26 |title=Wild party cancels celebration |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/auburn-journal-wild-party-cancels-celebr/141740660/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240221020425/https://www.newspapers.com/article/auburn-journal-wild-party-cancels-celebr/141740660/ |archive-date=February 21, 2024 |access-date=2024-02-21 |work=Auburn Journal |pages=3 |agency=United Press International}} In 1990 President Wilson officially condemned the 70-year-old tradition and he later later announced an end to the celebrations.{{Cite web |last=Wilson |first=Robin S. |date=July 17, 1990 |title=University Policy on Pioneer Days-like Events |url=https://www.csuchico.edu/pres/em/1990/90-058.shtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240221002912/https://www.csuchico.edu/pres/em/1990/90-058.shtml |archive-date=February 21, 2024 |access-date=2024-02-21 |website=Chico State University |publisher=Office of the President |language=en}}

The tradition was revived the next year as Rancho Chico Days,{{Cite web |last=Harrar |first=Paul |date=May 4, 1988 |title=Rancho Chico Days 88 |url=https://www.taugammatheta.com/rancho_chico_days_88.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/60p3dQ |archive-date=February 20, 2024 |access-date=2024-02-21 |website=Tau Gamma Theta Fraternity Alumni Association}} and again in 1996 as the Celebration of People. The name Pioneer Days was brought back and has continued to now. One exception was 2020, when it was scrapped caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.