The French capital’s most famous street, the Champs-Élysées, was transformed into a huge picnic blanket on Sunday as around 4,000 people sat in the sun enjoying an alfresco meal.
The lucky picnickers were selected by lottery and presented with free baskets filled with delights from top Parisian chefs, including puff pastries and creative sandwiches.
Food was prepared in eight temporary kitchens set up along the avenue and supplied by restaurants along the avenue, including the famous Fouquet’s, as well as McDonald’s.
Aurélien Morissard / AP
A giant tablecloth stretching 216 meters (236 yards) from the Arc de Triomphe to the intersection of Avenue George V served as a seating area for the event, which took place exactly two months before Paris is hosting the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics.
The tablecloth had a total area of 4,212 square meters (45,338 square feet) and was made in France from 100% recycled fibers, according to organizers.
Mayor Anne Hidalgo also visited the picnickers. The Comité des Champs-Élysées has organized other open-air events in the past, including a mass cinema screening and the world’s largest dictation event.
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