There was plenty of finger-pointing when Saturday’s Legion of Honor Cake Picnic sold out the instant tickets went on sale, but now those fingers can run through the frosting at a number of rival cake picnics happening at the same time Saturday.
It sounded like a sweet idea at first. To celebrate the Wayne Thiebaud: Art Comes from Art exhibit that just opened at the Legion of Honor, the museum planned a Cake Picnic for this Saturday, March 29 to pay homage to the cakes that the Sacramento-based Thiebaud painted. Everyone was asked to bring a cake, in order to create a glorious large-scale cake buffet.
But when the tickets went on sale right at 10 am on March 6, the site immediately displayed that all tickets were sold out. This SFist correspondent can personally confirm that tickets showed as sold out precisely at that date and time when they were supposed to just be going on sale. And as seen in these social media posts, there are many layers of conspiracy theories in the comments that the event was just battering us up with a bait-and-switch.
Cake picnic?
byu/Dramatic-Window9019 insanfrancisco
Some say that a third party gobbled up all the tickets before the general public could get to them. Others wonder if the $15 tickets never existed in the first place, and only the premium $65 that came with a t-shirt were ever really for sale. Still others allege that the sale quietly started days earlier, leaving no tickets once the official sale date arrived. None of these theories have been confirmed.
Nonetheless, the San Franciscans will have their cake and eat it too. Several creative cake lovers have decided to just throw their own renegade, informal cake picnics, at the exact same time Saturday morning and early afternoon that the Legion of Honor Cake Picnic is happening.
It is required that you bring a cake to attend these picnics. It’s a potluck, people. There are no admission fees, though some request a Venmo donation, or could use some volunteer help. It’s a good idea to label any allergens like nuts that might be in your cake. And remember, it’s not a bad idea to bring plates or compostable forks, and certainly clean up after your caked-up self.
All of these picnics are Saturday, March 29.
Alternative Cake Day, Dolores Park, 12 – 3 pm
Alternative Cake Day appears to be happening in Dolores Park at the intersection of 20th and Church streets. Check your cake in between 12-12:30 pm. Organizers say they could use some volunteers, as well as card tables or folding tables if you have any to spare.
Cake Picnic Party 2.0, Fort Mason, 1:30 pm
The Cake Picnic Party 2.0 declares, “F the Cake Picnic™️ for selling out in 2 seconds!!! We’ll have our own unprofessional cake picnic (not licensed). We won’t be measuring your cake dimensions but don’t be a jerk.” Event organizers for this one say they could also use card tables or folding tables if you’ve got any to spare.
Let Them Eat Cake!, Hellman Hollow at Golden Gate Park, 11 am
Let Them Eat Cake! is the early bird of the bunch, starting at 11 am, and with set-up starting at 10:45 am. Attendees are asked to bring their own plates and utensils, and a chair or blanket if you so desire.
Image: Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
