Touted as the cityu2019s first ever urban picnic, this weekend event promises a fun- filled day for the entire family Pick this picnic Shunashir Sen shunashir. sen@ mid- day. com Urban spaces in the West are usually so spread out and open that if a family wants to go out for a picnic, they can do so within city premises. People in London, for instance, make a beeline for Hampstead Heath and Hyde Park among others when they get a few days of clear sun in the summer, tanning themselves under the rays, drinking Pimmu2019s, and munching on sandwiches.
Mumbai, alas, doesnu2019t have that luxury. An overload of concrete monstrosities makes it impossible. But an event this weekend called The Picnic Project, touted as the cityu2019s first ever urban picnic, aims to change that equation with a laid- back day of curated activities at Lower Parelu2019s High Street Phoenix.
The whole day is spread over two arenas u2014 Universal Square and Festival Square u2014 that measure around 20,000 sq ft and 8,000 sq ft respectively. Pawan Shahri, one of the organisers, tells us that a part of this concrete area has been covered with a grass carpet to make it feel like an actual park.
He adds that every single element of the event has been thought of in a way that youu2019d get the vibe of being at a picnic. He says, u201c We were clear from the beginning that we didnu2019t want it to be a food festival.
Thereu2019s no place to sit, the queues are too long, and the experience is geared too much towards shopping.
We instead wanted to create a space where you can lie back, relax and spend a day out with friends and family. So, our event is less commercial and more indie, in the sense that it involves home- grown brands.u201d What you will thus get is an option of stalls selling dishes that are typical to a picnic, such as sandwiches, burgers and barbecues, and eight pop- up bars with a variety of cocktails. There is also a farmersu2019 market where you can buy organic produce, and Shahri tells us that people can actually buy organic veggies from there, take it to one of the bars, and make their own cocktail with help from a mixologist. u201c We have also curated a host of games, ones that people wouldnu2019t have ever played before. And we also have a kidsu2019 play area since we have tried to map out activities for different age groups. So thereu2019s something for everyone, whether you are six years old or 60,u201d he says.
He adds that people can even get their own picnic baskets filled with goodies from home, and just laze around in the grassy area feasting on them. And the 24x7 nightlife rule introduced recently means that even though the stalls will shut at 1.30 am, patrons can still hang around in the two arenas till 3 am.
The idea is to make this a bi- annual event, with one edition held in the first quarter and another in the last. But Shahri confesses that raising awareness about what this debut event actually involves was a bit problematic. u201c People have never seen a concept like this, since they are too used to food festivals. But this isnu2019t a place where you come for one or two hours. Here, you can chill for six or seven,u201d he says. So, if that sounds like your ideal weekend, grab a basket, fill it with treats, take the children and elderly along, and make your way to a picnic in the heart of Mumbai city.
ON February 22 and 23, 12 pm to 1.30 am AT High Street Phoenix, 462, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel.
Log on to insider. in cost ' 150 onwards event The event will have stalls selling picnic bites like sandwiches, and burgers and ice lollies ( below right) The venue of the event u2018 We have mapped out activities for all age groups.
So thereu2019s something for everyone, whether you are six or 60u2019 Pawan Shahri
