Cake lovers unite: Massive Bay Area cake party to return

SAN FRANCISCO - A popular cake-lovers’ extravaganza is set to return, and it will not only offer a chance for cake lovers to converge and "let them eat cake," but it will be held at a new and much-anticipated San Francisco park.

The event is called "Cake Picnic," and it’s become a beloved and now fast-expanding event. 

The last Bay Area Cake Picnic was held at the Legion of Honor in March.

Almost 1,400 people attended, creating a stunning scene of hundreds of colorful and beautifully decorated assortment of cakes lined up on tables with the Legion of Honor’s grandiose columns and French neoclassic architecture as its backdrop.

It was the second Cake Picnic held at the Legion of Honor. In November, a cake festival was held as part of celebrations to mark the iconic San Francisco landmark’s 100th anniversary.

What we know:

The event creator, Elisa Sunga, said the next Cake Picnic will be held on Oct. 19. It will be at another notable site: the brand-new waterfront Cityside Park on Treasure Island, which is set to open on Saturday. 

With sweeping views of the San Francisco skyline, the site is the first major park to open as part of a massive redevelopment effort on the island.

‘NO CAKE, NO ENTRY’

The dessert event is essentially a potluck and an opportunity to have your cake and eat others’ cakes too. And like many potlucks, you can't show up empty-handed. 

In fact, the event slogan is: "NO CAKE, NO ENTRY."  

The backstory:

The first-ever Cake Picnic was held last year in April at Potrero del Sol Park in San Francisco.

The concept was born out of a simple and sweet idea by Sunga, she said, "to be surrounded by friends and as many cakes as possible."

In its essence, it’s a gathering that brings people together through a collective love of cake.

In an email correspondence with KTVU, Sunga explained, "In my earliest daydreams of this event, it was a small and intimate picnic of maybe 15 new friends forming a circle at the park. Once we’ve formed our circle, we would take turns introducing ourselves and what cake we brought to the picnic."

But that idea quickly grew into something she couldn't have ever anticipated.

The first picnic brought together more than 150 people and their cakes.

And that was just the tip of the icing. In addition to the earlier San Francisco events, hundreds gathered for a picnic in Carlsbad in San Diego County this past April. 

In July, the event went transatlantic with a cake party in London. 

It’s set to go to Los Angeles this month and Minneapolis and New York later in the fall. 

There are plans to expand even more widely across the U.S. and to take the tour to other countries as well, with picnics potentially planned for cities including Manila, Melbourne, and Paris.

"I had no idea this would draw such a crowd and that everyone would share my dream so passionately," the event creator shared.

How it works

You need a ticket to attend.

Every person must show up with a cake. On each cake, they’re asked to add a title indicating what kind of cake they brought as well as listing allergens like dairy, nuts and wheat. The cake label should be inserted into the cake with something like a toothpick flag, organizers said. 

After the desserts are displayed, a cake cutting is held. Attendees are then provided with a pastry box for slices, and then the cake eating begins, according to the event’s website.  

Dig deeper:

Picnic goers don’t need to make their cakes from scratch.

The event isn’t focused on showing off your pastry prowess but on sharing the joy of cake. 

"Please bring cake that you absolutely love and would want to personally eat," organizers said, adding, "We only want to eat good & beautiful cakes!" the website states.

Organizers encourage those who bring a store-bought cake to support local bakeries.

And while many die-hard cake enthusiasts may have strong preferences about what kind of cake they’re partial to, no cake is discriminated against.

"It celebrates cake in all of its forms — chiffon cakes, upside down cakes, Princess cakes, Russian honey cakes, meringue cakes, jello cakes, trifles, multi-tiered cakes, sponge cakes, butter cakes, and more," Sunga shared.

Guests can also show up with a picnic blanket, salty snacks, drinks, "and whatever else you need to have a great picnic experience!" organizers said, highly encouraging people to use earth-friendly, reusable items where possible.

About the creator

Sunga, who works as a Google UX program manager when not bringing the world together through cake, described herself on her website Salted Rye as being "driven by the ruthless pursuit of wondering, tasting, and creating." 

She said that she never imagined her simple idea of bringing people together would explode into something that’s celebrated in communities worldwide.

It’s clear she tapped into something very sweet and very special.

"CAKE PICNIC brings communities and friends together for the purpose of breaking cake and enjoying the following butter and sugar highs," Sunga said, asking, "To be surrounded by as many cakes as there are humans is definitely something special, right?"

Ticket sales

Tickets for the next San Francisco Cake Picnic will be released at 5 p.m. on Sept. 18, Sunga told KTVU.

It’s unclear how much admission will be, but the last event at the Legion of Honor cost as low as $15 (plus the entry ticket of a cake), and as the cost of holding the massive events has gone up, admission for the fall cake festival is expected to rise and could be priced at $30.

The interest in the next event has already been overwhelming.

So far, more than 12,000 people have signed up to receive updates on the ticket release, Sunga said. 

And if the previous San Francisco event is any indication, the tickets will likely be snatched up in a flash.

"It was harder to get than a Taylor Swift concert ticket," said Sunga was quoted as saying by the New York Times back in March.  

The unique experience has many cake lovers excited, with people fully embracing the belief that "Life is too short to skip cake."

A read-through of many of the comments on Cake Picnic’s Instagram shows people eager to experience the community event and be a part of this sweet sensation.

"It is a moment in time where we come together for something truly sweet," Sunga said. "It is a feast for the ages."

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