San Francisco’s famous, sugary, packed picnic is returning this May. The incredibly popular Cake Picnic is returning for 2026 on May 23 at a waterfront park. In the past, the picnics featured Rows of long tables draped in white tablecloths covered in thousands of colorful cakes, while people eagerly waited to try the sugary delights.
The picnics have been held at some of San Francisco’s most scenic locations, starting with the Legion of Honor. After the overwhelming success, the latest picnic was held at Cityside Park on Treasure Island, featuring the SF skyline in the back. The last picnic had an impressive 2,000 cakes, and the previous event featured 1300.
The event’s motto is simple: no cake, no entry. Everyone participating brings a cake of their choice, placing it on the tables for all to try. People are then given large boxes to carry their cake slices, and unleashed into the cake area, with only a few minutes to gather their slices.
How to get tickets to SF Cake Picnic
The events typically sell out almost instantly, and while general admission tickets for the upcoming event are sold out, there’s still a way for you to attend. Organizers created the Cake Picnic Club, which comes with a ticket to the May 23 event. The club also includes a copy of the Cake Picnic cookbook and a meet-up during the main picnic. Club memberships cost $150, and GA tickets were $55.
How it all started
The now massive event was started by Elisa Sunga, who simply wanted to gather some friends to share cake. Since then, it has grown into a major event, touring around the United States and even some international locations. Cake Picnics have been hosted in New York, Los Angeles, London, Mexico City, and many more.
You can learn more and purchase tickets here.
