Perfect weather, patriotic music and plenty of BYO food and drink drew tens of thousands to a picnic at Forsyth Park this past Sunday. As with all things now, this annual event had a theme – “Under the Stars and Stripes.” Consequently, many picnickers sported red, white and blue to enjoy music, competed for prizes and in general displayed a whole lot of patriotism.
This was Marlow’s second picnic since moving to Savannah two months ago. The first was on the sunset lit shore beach of Tybee Island three weeks prior.
The event featured local band, choral and orchestral students at the bandshell along with a performance by the Savannah Philharmonic. Attendees also had the opportunity to enter the “Picnic Contest” by designing a picnic sites, inspired by the event’s theme of patriotism.
Established and impromptu social aid and pleasure club organizations were in abundant evidence with their tents and displays trying to snatch the first place prize in the themed site competition. Ladies of Distinction, Mint Julip Queens, and Coastal Heritage Society were just three of the competitors.
The Heritage Society interpretation was a nod to 18th century America with two tables replicating Savannah’s earlier days in the late 1700. The group’s display featured a solider in revolutionary garb, colonial armory and a table setting straight out of Tondee’s Tavern in 1779.
Other contestants took a more modern approach to representing the symbolic red, white and blue.
The Mint Julep Queens set up a tent titled “From Sea to Shining Sea” complete with a stage and American Flag backdrop. The women of Savannah nonprofit social group sported mint green dress, crowns and torches and handed out patriotic temporary tattoos, while others posed with a U.S.A. sign.
First Place was won by a group entitled Chuck Sasser and friends for their site entitled “The 70s,” complete with disco paraphernalia, big hair, extremely bad fashion choices (patriotic leisure suits anybody?), and fake bags of marijuana hanging out of participants’ pockets.
This picnic was held in the real, recognizable America, but one whose landscape and psycho-geography were dramatically different from Marlow’s former island location. He and his W were noshing in gothicly charming Northeast Georgia. The playing of Dixie by the Savannah Philharmonic Orchestra caused Marlow to pause. Perhaps it’s time to let float away some symbolic balloons into the sky regarding this.
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