600+ Gather for THE LONGEST PICNIC BLANKET at Delacorte Theater

The Public Theater (Artistic Director, Oskar Eustis; Executive Director, Patrick Willingham), Wonder, and The Longest Table (Maryam Banikarim and Andrew Lerner) brought New Yorkers together on Friday, August 21, for the first-ever LONGEST PICNIC BLANKET, a joyful community gathering outside The Delacorte Theater in Central Park as part of The Public's annual celebration of Shakespeare for the City and Free Shakespeare in the Park.

More than 600 New Yorkers gathered across picnic blankets, sharing food, drinks, stories, and conversation against the backdrop of the newly revitalized Delacorte Theater.

Inspired by The Longest Table's tradition of free, family-friendly potluck gatherings, THE LONGEST PICNIC BLANKET, a first-of-its-kind event, extended The Public's spirit of bringing people together beyond the theater and onto the lawn of Central Park, transforming the area into one vibrant community gathering place where New Yorkers could settle on a blanket, share a dish, meet someone new, and celebrate the simple joy of being together.

"New York is at its best when people come together, and that's exactly what made The Longest Picnic Blanket so special,” says Rachael Caine, Director, Regional Marketing at Wonder. “We're proud to have partnered with The Public Theater and The Longest Table to help create a memorable evening that brought together food, culture, and community in the heart of Central Park."

"Joseph Papp founded Shakespeare in the Park on the belief that art belongs to everyone, not just those who can afford a ticket. The Longest Table was born from the belief that the arts are the soul of our city, and that sharing joy in public spaces matters now more than ever. It was magical to see the picnic blanket version of The Longest Table come to life in Olmsted's Central Park, ahead of the storied New York tradition Papp built," said Maryam Banikarim, co-founder, The Longest Table. “We hope this becomes an annual partnership.”

ABOUT WONDER

Wonder is a mealtime platform built to satisfy every craving without compromise. The platform brings together delivery, pickup, dine-in, meal kits, and chef-driven food innovation in one seamless experience. Wonder features some of the world's most celebrated chefs, including Bobby Flay and Marcus Samuelsson, alongside award-winning restaurants such as Tejas Barbecue and Di Fara Pizza. With Wonder's first-of-its-kind multi-restaurant ordering, customers can mix and match dishes from multiple chefs and restaurants in a single order – something no other platform offers.

Wonder's portfolio of brands includes meal kit pioneer Blue Apron, online food delivery marketplace Grubhub and award-winning media company Tastemade – together working to make great food more accessible, wherever and however people want to eat.

For more information, visit www.wonder.com.

THE LONGEST TABLE is an initiative of NYCNext (501c3) and brings neighbors together for shared meals in open spaces where everyone belongs. In an increasingly disconnected world, we're rebuilding community one table at a time, fostering human connection, reducing loneliness, and reminding us of what we share rather than what divides us. Learn more at www.longesttablecommunity.org and follow @longesttablecommunity on IG.

THE PUBLIC continues the work of its visionary founder Joe Papp as a civic institution engaging, both on-stage and off, with some of the most important ideas and social issues of today. Conceived over 60 years ago as one of the nation's first nonprofit theaters, The Public has long operated on the principles that theater is an essential cultural force and that art and culture belong to everyone. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Oskar Eustis and Executive Director Patrick Willingham, The Public's wide breadth of programming includes an annual season of new work at its landmark home at Astor Place, Free Shakespeare in the Park at The Delacorte Theater in Central Park, the Mobile Unit touring throughout New York City's five boroughs, Public Works, and Joe's Pub. Since premiering HAIR in 1967, The Public continues to create the canon of American Theater and is currently represented on Broadway by the Tony Award-winning musical Hamilton by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Their programs and productions can also be seen regionally across the country and around the world. The Public has received 64 Tony Awards, 197 Obie Awards, 63 Drama Desk Awards, 66 Lortel Awards, 36 Outer Critic Circle Awards, 13 New York Drama Critics' Circle Awards, 72 AUDELCO Awards, 6 Antonyo Awards, and 6 Pulitzer Prizes. publictheater.org

The Public Theater stands in honor of the first inhabitants and our ancestors. We acknowledge the land on which The Public and its theaters stand—the original homeland of the Lenape people. We acknowledge the painful history of genocide and forced removal from this territory. We honor the generations of stewards and we pay our respects to the many diverse indigenous peoples still connected to this land.

The Public also gives our respect to the people of Seneca Village, a community of Black property owners who were removed from their land and whose village was destroyed in the creation of Central Park. We recognize the sacrifice that these ancestors made and honor Seneca Village's legacy.

Citizens is the presenting partner of Free Shakespeare in the Park. Jerome L. Greene Foundation is the lead sponsor of Free Shakespeare in the Park.

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