If You’ve Never Been to a Cake Picnic, It’s Time to Head to Bellevue, Washington

Bellevue is making quite a name for itself as a culinary destination. With talented and creative chefs doing incredible things at restaurants across town, entire weeks dedicated to different foods like Dumpling Week and a massive picnic just to celebrate cake, Bellevue is the place to be for foodies in the state of Washington.

CAKE PICNIC is a fun concept the city will be hosting for the first time on July 18. Attendees must buy tickets online ahead of the event — it’s the only way you’ll find out the exact location of the picnic.

The concept is simple: No cake, no entry. In other words, every participant over the age of 3 has got to bring a full cake, at least 8 inches wide and 3 inches tall, and it has to be displayed on a cake board — no tin or aluminum baking pans allowed! Your cake can be homemade or bought from a bakery and can be any type of cake you feel proud to share.

© Elisa Sunga @saltedrye

As the event gets underway, all cakes will be put on display so everyone can enjoy their beauty. There will be plenty of time for enjoying the summer weather (don’t forget your picnic blanket!) while you socialize with other attendees before the cakes are cut and everyone can try slices of whichever cakes suit their fancy. It’s a great way to get out, enjoy the city, show off your baking skills (or your shopping skills if you aren’t a baker) and satisfy your sweet tooth. It’s also a great activity for families with kids who enjoy baking and have aspirations of a culinary career. They can discover a whole new community while they get inspiration for their own creations.

CAKE PICNIC was created by Elisa Sunga, a baker and creative entrepreneur who started cake-sharing events as a way of sharing cakes among a gathering of friends. Since then, it has grown and has been touring to cities around the world, from San Francisco to New York, Mexico City to Melbourn. This will be the event’s first time in the Pacific Northwest and will be timed perfectly to kick off the city’s Berry Week celebration.

Since CAKE PICNIC is starting off Berry Week, berries will be the theme for the picnic. In other words, if you plan to attend, get creative with berries (particularly regionally-grown berries like blueberries, blackberries and marionberries) and bring a cake that is either berry flavored, decorated with berries, filled with berries or all of the above!