Competitive Winter Picnicking at Fort Greene Park

Operation Eagle Freedom Defense Initiative setting up their spy balloons for their game

"Rick" of Operation Eagle Freedom Defense Initiative

A member of Operation Eagle Freedom Defense Initiative

Martyr Mountain Ski Team in the early afternoon

One of the judges, Jonah, participates in skiing down the slope from Martyr Mountain Ski Team

One of the judges, Jonah, participates in skiing down the slope from Martyr Mountain Ski Team

A member of Martyr Mountain Ski Team

Jonah plays the war game from Operation Eagle Freedom Defense Initiative

There was food inside the balloons from Operation Eagle Freedom Defense Initiative

Another participant during Operation Eagle Freedom Defense Initiative's war game

Throwing a dart during Operation Eagle Freedom Defense Initiative's war game

A destroyed balloon misses a plate

A member of Air of Mystery asks a visitor security questions

A visitor to the Air of Mystery table answers their questions truthfully

Air of Mystery served spam bao

Identifying bubble butts in a real life CAPTCHA test

Scott Lynch of Brooklyn Magazine takes the bubble butt CAPTCHA test

Scott Lynch of Brooklyn Magazine takes the bubble butt CAPTCHA test

Scott Lynch wearing the Air of Mystery mask of their team member who was stuck in Jamaica (West Indies, not Queens)

Oriana of the Broth Goths wore a spoon necklace

Emily and Oriana of Broth Goths

The Creamatorium table

All of the Broth Goths wore eyeliner

Broth Goths were stationed in a Hot Topic (tent)

Jason of Broth Goths

Hannah of Broth Goths showing off her pentagram

Creamatorium's ice cream

People enjoying the broth served by the Broth Goths

One of the judges giving a speech at the Pirates of Penzants table after receiving a trophy

Creamatorium serving ice cream to curious kids in the park

One of the kids opts to be cremated...

...and receives ice cream with their "ashes" after being cremated.

Another person being cremated at the Creamatorium table

After you get cremated, you return as a ghost while loved ones deliver a eulogy.

One of the judges, Jaclyn, after being cremated

Judge Jaclyn receives a eulogy at Creamatorium

Members of team Bubbies Hot Fluids

The Pink Freud area

Someone takes a Rorschach test

A NSFW Rorschach test

A member of Pink Freud conducts hypnosis with anal beads.

Da Bears Picnic-gate team brings the tailgating experience to Competitive Winter Picnicking

Da Bears Picnic-gate served Chicago style hot dogs, of course.

A furry member from Da Bears Picnic-gate team

Sporting a Dennis Rodman Chicago Bulls jersey, of course

Shots of "testosterone" at Muscle Beach

The Paradice table

Paradice served edible playing cards

Paradice drinks

Jonah pets one of the members of Purrrrrfect Picnic at the Paradice table

Oriana of Broth Goths warming her feet by the fire

Martyr Mountain Ski Team's table

Air of Mystery definitely *not* spying on people

A member of Pink Freud plays Operation Eagle Freedom Defense Initiative's war game in an attempt to shoot down a Chinese spy balloon

Operation Eagle Freedom Defense Initiative's spy balloon targets

We have a successful hit!

And the food lands onto a plate

Dylan of Creamatorium plays Operation Eagle Freedom Defense Initiative's war game

Dylan after breaking a balloon with a dart

Martyr Mountain Ski Team had a shotski as one of their games

Members of Creamatorium before doing Martyr Mountain Ski Team's shotski

Pink Freud conducting analysis

Members of Beetlezebubs

Muscle Beach serving mussels

Muscle Beach

People working out to Muscle Beach

Muscle Beach serves a shot of "testosterone" to a judge

A member of Muscle Beach

People in the park working out at Muscle Beach

Anney of Pirates of Penzants

Anney of Pirates of Penzants

Pirates of Penzants served pizza that had a treasure map on it

A judge holds a trophy from Pirates of Penzants before the award ceremony

Sherpa

The Association of Sassy Scientists (A.S.S.) showed up late but managed to conduct experiments with a few people

The Association of Sassy Scientists (A.S.S.)

The Association of Sassy Scientists (A.S.S.) turns someone into a donkey

The Association of Sassy Scientists (A.S.S.) turns someone into a donkey

The Broth Goths blasted music for a dance party

A member of Bubbies Hot Fluids

A member of Broth Goths

Broth Goth dance party

Oriana of Broth Goths

Emily of Broth Goths

The judges deliberate before the award ceremony

After Creamatorium disassembled their area, I learned their skeleton could move

Crepey Mimes

Jonah addressing the crowd before announcing the winners

Pink Freud picking up a certificate

A member of Baguette Brigade receives their certificate for Frenchest Kiss and proves why they won that award

Judge Jaclyn holding all the trophies at once

Beetlezebubs receive Most Mobile Picnic & High Art Award

Operation Eagle Freedom Defense Initiative

Crepey Mimes won Most Elegantly Menacing, Best Costumes

Dylan of Creamatorium receives the award for Most Likely to Make Your Mother Cry

A member of Da Bears Picnic-gate receives their award for Best Commitment to a Bit and thanks Mike Ditka

Purrrrrfect Picnic receives an award for being the Kutest Krewe of Kats

Operation Eagle Freedom Defense Initiative receives their trophy for Best Game

Operation Eagle Freedom Defense Initiative receives their trophy for Best Game

Pink Freud receives a trophy for being Jung and Punny

The Pirates of Penzants win a trophy for Best Bribe

Dylan picks up the trophy for Creamatorium

Air of Mystery receives an award for being Most Secure, and it was picked up by the team leader who arrived from Jamaica (West Indies, not Queens)!

The trophy for Best Production Value & the prestigious Dan Glass Mostly Potential For Injury Award goes to...

The Martyr Mountain Ski Team

The Martyr Mountain Ski Team

Members of Air of Mystery with one member of Operation Eagle Freedom Defense Initiative

A member of Baguette Brigade poses with their award for Frenchest Kiss

Members of Broth Goths with their award for Most Posers

On Saturday, March 11, 2023, Competitive Winter Picnicking took place at Fort Greene Park in Brooklyn, NY. The event took place in the same location as last year’s edition, but featured comparatively warmer weather and more teams participating (there were 18 total).

Teams came up with a theme, a picnic menu, and games. The Best game winner combined their game with their food items (people were asked to shoot down Chinese spy balloons filled with noodles, chicken, and broccoli using a dart and the food fell onto a plate). If you ever wondered what combining cremation and ice cream would look like, the Creamatorium team filled that need (visitors would be cremated, and would return as ghosts before their ashes were served as an ice cream flavor, and yes, there was a vegan option). The Air of Mystery team wore Groucho Marx nose & glasses and asked participants to accept cookies before asking them security questions (such as the last four digits of their social security number, their mother’s maiden name, and asking people to identify images of bubble butts for an IRL CAPTCHA experience) before serving them their food. If you visited Da Bears Picnic-gate, you were served a Chicago style hot dog as if you were tailgating in the Soldier Field parking lot (go Bears!). A visit to Muscle Beach meant a work out with weights, shots of testosterone (or an alcoholic mixture served via a plastic syringe) and eating mussels, or a trip to the Martyr Mountain Ski Team involved shots from a shot ski, plus fondue and waffles.

If you missed this year’s event, you can view lots of images from the day in the gallery above. Some images were taken on 35mm film and the developing and scans were done by Nice Film Club.

Competitive Winter Picnicking 2023 results

Awards

• Suckiest - Vampire Squids a-Go-Go

• Frenchest Kiss - Baguette Brigade

• Best Mobile Picnic & High Art - Beetlezebubs

• Most Elegantly Menacing/Best Costumes - Crepey Mimes

• Best Commitment to a Bit - Da Bears Picnic-gate

• Best Tail End - The Association of Sassy Scientists

• Most Posers - Broth Goths

• Best Community Recruitment and Pumping it Up - Muscle Beach

• Best Integration of Species - Warm Worms

• Kutest Krewe of Kats - Purrrrrfect Picnic

• Shmaltziest, Most Mitzvah - Bubbies Hot Fluids

• Warmest Welcome - Paradice

Trophy winners

• Jung and Punny - Pink Freud

• Most Secure - Air of Mystery

• Most Likely to Make Your Mother Cry - Creamatorium

• EGOT Award & Best Bribe - Pirates of Penzants

• Best War Game - Operation Eagle Freedom Defense Initiative

• Best Production Value & the prestigious Dan Glass Mostly Potential For Injury Award - Martyr Mountain Ski Team - Best in Snow