One of the world's most famous boulevards was the scene of a massive picnic Sunday as more than 4,000 people sat down on a 700-foot-long, red-and-white checkered "tablecloth" to feast on free food.
The event on the Champs-Elysées in Paris, dubbed "Le Grand Pique-Nique des Champs," drew applications from more than 270,000 people who hoped to take part, the French newspaper Le Monde reported.
One of the lucky winners, Yasmina Train of Paris, told the Associated Press that picnicking on the City of Lights' iconic street between the Arc de Triomphe and Avenue Georges V was "a dream coming true."
"I took some pictures and I sent that to friends, you know, all over the world," Train said.
The meals, served in wicker picnic baskets, were prepared in eight "temporary kitchens" that were "organized and managed by the grand chefs" of eateries along the avenue, Marc-Antoine Jamet, chairperson of the Champs-Elysées Committee, told AP.
The offerings included creative sandwiches and puff pastries from restaurants that ranged from the famed Brasserie Foquet's to McDonald's, AP said.
Two sittings were scheduled at noon and 2 p.m. and the tablecloth was assembled on-site by 150 people from 25 pieces of recycled material, according to Le Monde.
The event, held exactly two months before Paris will host the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympcis, was aimed at boosting local interest in the Champs-Elysées, a popular tourist destination due to its designer boutiques and gourmet restaurants.
But it has fallen out of favor among Parisians, with the historic UGC Normandie movie theater, which opened in 1937, set to close next month following a decline in business, Le Monde reported.
The Champs-Elysées Committee is scheduled to present an 1,800-page study with revitalization plans on Monday.
