Just because the big, famous, internationally adored Winter Olympics ended a week ago doesn’t mean Brooklyn is finished with raucous sporting contests held on the snow and ice and, uh. slush.
On Saturday, February 28, the folks behind the participatory event collective Shadow Traffic hosted the eighth annual Competitive Winter Picnicking games in Herbert Von King Park. More than a hundred people across a dozen different teams showed up, dressed in crazy costumes, organized dumb contests, and laid out impressive spreads to feed each other and all the good people of Bed-Stuy who wandered onto the soupy lawn to see what the hell was going on.
(Photo by Scott Lynch)
“I really love being on a team participating in creative activities,” Catherine Stackpole of team Apocalyptic Picnic told Brooklyn Magazine. “It gets me outside and makes me feel like there’s an actual purpose to making these wacky things. I don’t care about winning. When you play, you win.” [Ed. Note: Stackpole’s culinary contribution was “rat jerky.”]
And so there was glory all around, but the actual winners of the gold, silver, and bronze picnic baskets were, in order: team Potato, who also could have won “most repulsive drink,” with their shot of bourbon gravy; team We Got the Beet, who also definitely won “most severely stained clothes and faces”; and the grim but loveable Apocalyptic Picnic crew.
A waffle takes flight (Photo by Scott Lynch)
Other personal favorites were team S’more Than a Feeling, who combined ’70s rock with the titular treat, marshmallows roasted over an open fire; team Brunchbot 2000, and their waffle catapult; and team Noodleham, who encouraged little “Ramen Hoods” to steal from the king.
Silver picnic basket winner We Got the Beet (Photo by Scott Lynch)
In addition to all the food and kid-friendly games, there were plenty of drinks getting passed around among participants and spectators, which, as the afternoon wore on, brought another layer of festiveness to the proceedings. As Annie Vilani of team Wasteland Ghoulash said, “I love the chaos. All these people separately creating these massive art installations to bring out to the park for no reason other than everyone’s enjoyment? The fun randomness of it all is just absolutely unmeasured.”
Here are some more scenes from Herbert Von King Park.
Cathertine Stackpole and her rat jerky (Photo by Scott Lynch)
A young “Ramen Hood” takes from the King of Noodleham (Photo by Scott Lynch)
Annie Vilani serves up the Ghoulish Ghoulash (Photo by Scott Lynch)
To get a smore, you had to play air guitar (Photo by Scott Lynch)
Photo op courtesy of team Bad Bunnies (Photo by Scott Lynch)
Nitrous in the Apocalyptic Picnic tent (Photo by Scott Lynch)
A judge gets bribed with “beet juice” (Photo by Scott Lynch)
(Photo by Scott Lynch)
(Photo by Scott Lynch)
(Photo by Scott Lynch)
(Photo by Scott Lynch)
(Photo by Scott Lynch)
Bronze picnic basket winner, team Apocalyptic Picnic (Photo by Scott Lynch)
Gold picnic basket winner, team Potato (Photo by Scott Lynch)
The proper response to a shot of bourbon gravy (Photo by Scott Lynch)
(Photo by Scott Lynch)
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