A Recap of Our Annual Summer Picnic

Four hundred and twelve people came to the park this year — the largest turnout since we started counting, and about ninety more than last summer. Here is how the afternoon went, and what we learned for next time.

The day itself

The weather did what it was told, which is not a given. Tables went up at nine, the first families arrived before ten, and by noon the long table was full end to end. The bakery donated four hundred rolls; the hardware shop lent the gazebos; two neighbors we had never met turned up with a sound system and spent the afternoon running it.

What worked

• The long table. Putting one table down the middle instead of scattering picnic blankets did more for the atmosphere than anything else we tried.
• Games running continuously. Not a schedule — just something always happening, so arriving late cost you nothing.
• A quiet corner. The shaded area at the north end was busy all day, which tells us something about who was not coming before.

What we would change

The queue for food peaked badly between half twelve and one, and the bins were full an hour before the end. Both are solvable — two serving points instead of one, and a second collection — and both are already on the list for next year.

Somebody asked whether we could do this twice a year. We are thinking about it.

Thank you

To everyone who carried a table, ran a stall, brought a dish, or stayed behind to clear up: the afternoon was yours. The photographs are in the gallery, and if you took any of your own, we would like to add them.