On a windy Sunday afternoon, hundreds of students gathered on the University of Virginia’s South Lawn with forks and cake boxes in hand, ready to descend upon the more than 50 cakes lining folding tables. An hour later, every piece of cake was gone.
“Cake on the Lawn” proved that sometimes all it takes to bring a community together is one person’s idea and a lot of sweets.
What is Cake on the Lawn?
Cake picnics are a national viral trend, boasting simple rules: attendees bring a cake to share and unlock more cakes to sample. Once the cakes are displayed on tables, guests walk around sampling slices from each one – a communal, potluck-style dessert experience. The New York Times covered a San Francisco cake picnic that drew more than 1,300 cakes.
Fernanda Vergara, a fourth-year environmental science student, finds inspiration from the viral cake picnic social media trend. She decided her final year at UVA was the perfect time to bring her vision to life. (Contributed photo)
Fernanda Vergara, a fourth-year environmental science major and Spanish minor, spotted the trend online and immediately thought, “I wish we had one here.” An avid baker, she was drawn to the idea of bringing the community together around dessert.
“I kind of just wanted an excuse to bake a cake,” she said.
When a friend encouraged her to “just do it,” the idea became real. Recognizing she was running out of time as a fourth-year student, Vergara made a decision: “If I’m not going to do it now, I’m never going to do it.”
She got to work. In August, Vergara created an Instagram page to promote the event, posted a form for students to pledge their cakes and began selling $5 tickets (with free entry for those bringing a cake).
Cake-cutting time
More than 200 people gathered on South Lawn for the event, bringing 54 cakes ranging from classic vanilla and chocolate to elaborate treats with carefully crafted toppings.
The event also served a larger purpose. Vergara partnered with the One Love Foundation, a national nonprofit dedicated to educating young people about the signs of healthy and unhealthy relationships. Proceeds from ticket sales, after the table rental expenses were covered, were donated to the organization.
Among the attendees were both cake bakers and cake enthusiasts. First-year student Christopher Bordonaro brought a vanilla cake with orange frosting, complete with a 3D-printed Rotunda topper – a decoration he had held onto from his high school graduation party.
