Assorted colorful cakes on display with various geometric designs and patterns, arranged on a white tablecloth outdoors.
From Wayne Thiebaud's canvas to eatable cake. These were made by the artist Juan Felipe Hammack for the Legion of Honor's Cake Picnic. Photo on March 29, 2025 by Abigail Van Neely.

It was a cake picnic at the Legion of Honor on Saturday, with hundreds of visitors sampling hundreds of cakes set out on long white tablecloths. Artists and members of the public contributed the cakes that ranged from classic to quirky, from Funfetti box mixes to corn-and-pandan original recipes.

The cake picnic was inspired by the work of Wayne Thiebauld, a painter known for his bright depictions of desserts. Some of those are now on display in “Wayne Thiebaud: Art Comes from Art,” a show that features the art that inspired Thiebaud, including Giorgio Morandi’s still lifes.

This weekend, it was all about the cake.

People gather around outdoor tables filled with assorted cakes and desserts, selecting items under a clear sky.
Cakes of all sizes, shapes, and colors. Photo on March 29, 2025 by Abigail Vân Neely.
An assortment of elaborately decorated cakes is displayed on a table outdoors. Each cake resembles a tree stump with varied colors and textures, set against a background with columns.
From Wayne Thiebaud’s canvas to eatable cake. These were made by the artist Juan Felipe Hammack for the Legion of Honor’s Cake Picnic. Photo on March 29, 2025 by Abigail Vân Neely.
People collecting food from tables covered with various dishes outdoors in a park setting, surrounded by trees and plants.
Cake headbands on display by attendees of the Legion of Honor cake picnic on March 29, 2025. Photo by Abigail Vân Neely.
A partially eaten cake box with various colorful cake slices, including vanilla, chocolate, red velvet, and fruit-topped pieces, on a green outdoor background.
Some neatly packaged their cake samples at the picnic. Others boxed up a haphazard cake pile. Photo on March 29, 2025 by Abigail Vân Neely.
Two women smiling outdoors hold plates of dessert, standing on a grassy area with trees in the background. One wears sunglasses on her head, the other has a sweater draped over her shoulders.
Alyssa, left, and Jenna, right, missed last year’s cake picnic. They made a triumphant return on March 29, 2025. Photo by Abigail Vân Neely.
A large group of people gather on a grassy area near a statue, with a scenic view of hills and water in the background.
Picnickers settle down to spoon cake into their mouths by the fistful; the cutlery ran out. Photo on March 29, 2025 by Abigail Vân Neely.
A person is holding a label above partially eaten cakes on display, including a layered cake with chocolate and vanilla sections. Other cake remnants are scattered on the table.
A Wayne Thiebaud tribute. Photo on March 29, 2025 by Abigail Vân Neely.
A group of people stands around a long table filled with a variety of cakes and desserts outdoors, each holding boxes or plates, with trees visible in the background.
A frenzy of cake boxes at the Legion of Honor picnic on March 29, 2025. Photo by Abigail Vân Neely.
A woman wearing a blue cap paints on an easel outside a large building during a public art event, surrounded by a crowd.
Caroline Brown paints the painting-inspired cakes. Photo on March 29, 2025 by Abigail Vân Neely.
People gather around tables filled with cakes outdoors, each holding boxes to take slices. A large red sculpture and parked cars are visible in the background.
The public descends on the cakes outside the Legion of Honor. Photo on March 29, 2025 by Abigail Vân Neely.
A person in a pink hat plays an accordion outdoors. They sit in front of a wall with columns. Other people are seated in the background.
Music accompanies the Legion of Honor cake picnic on March 29, 2025. Photo by Abigail Vân Neely.
A row of artistically decorated cakes displayed on a table outdoors, each labeled with information. Columns of a building are visible in the background.
From Wayne Thiebaud’s canvas to eatable cake. These were made by the artist Juan Felipe Hammack for the Legion of Honor’s Cake Picnic. Photo on March 29, 2025 by Abigail Vân Neely.
Assorted cakes, some partially eaten, are displayed on a table. Various labels identify the ingredients. A few utensils are scattered among the cakes.
The Legion of Honor makes space for cakes for all dietary restrictions. Photo on March 29, 2025 by Abigail Vân Neely.
People selecting cakes from tables at an outdoor event. A person holds an orange box and smiles at the camera. Others are browsing the cakes. Trees are visible in the background.
Boxing up cake outside the Legion of Honor. Photo on March 29, 2025 by Abigail Vân Neely.
A person sits on a blanket surrounded by boxes and belongings near a statue base in a park. A yellow umbrella provides shade. Trees and a distant cityscape are visible in the background.
Cake for breakfast. Photo on March 29, 2025 by Abigail Vân Neely.

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Abigail is a staff reporter at Mission Local covering criminal justice and public health. She's been awarded for investigative reporting and public service journalism.

She got her bachelor's and master's from Stanford University. Her first stories were published from nearly opposite places: coastal Half Moon Bay, CA and the United Nations Headquarters.

Abigail's family is from small-town Iowa and Vietnam, but she's a born and raised New Yorker. She now lives in San Francisco with her cat, Sally Carrera. (Yes, the shelter named the cat after the Porsche from the animated movie Cars.)

Message her securely via Signal at abi.725

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