The sun shone down on the inaugural Chester Picnic for Peace on Sunday (August 21).
International dishes and impromptu musical performances were the order of the day at the Grosvenor Park event, which was held to celebrate the city’s diversity and multiculturalism in the post-EU referendum era.
The Picnic for Peace movement started in Lewisham last month, in response to the rise in xenophobic and racist incidents after Britain voted to leave the European Union.
Organisers Eva Popova, Katja Knox, Mark Williams and Chloe Roberts-Pace were inspired to unite the community, and banded together to put on the first picnic of its kind in Chester.
Almost 100 people turned out for the event, which has been hailed an overwhelming success by the team.
Eva said: “It was incredible to see such support from our community for this event – not just in the amount of people who came, but the support we received from local businesses in the lead-up to the event.
“The atmosphere was really special, with people and families from completely different places and backgrounds all enjoying an afternoon in the park together.
“And the food was amazing, everyone made such an effort!”
Share Shop attended, and redistributed leftover food to the city’s homeless.
Organisers have revealed that the event will be held annually, with the hope that all the Picnics for Peace across the UK are held on the same day.
Mark added: “It was lovely to see so many like-minded people come together to share a simple picnic and discuss tolerance in a multicultural society in a post-Brexit world.”
