The Longest Day of the Year / The Longest Table of the Year, or LDOTY/LTOTY

This will be the fifth year celebrating the summer solstice with “The Longest Day of the Year / The Longest Table of the Year,” or "LDOTY/LTOTY.” The solstice falls on Sunday, June 21, this year, same as.  Father’s Day, so special cheers to the dads.

A little background of how this all came about: During the pandemic, some of our neighbors regularly got together for outdoor happy hours, which created a nice oasis in the dreary sameness of lock-down. Related to that idea somewhat, in the first September of the pandemic, was an art show on the boulevard where we hung paintings on trees. Some time around then a photo surfaced of an end-of-Eid feast at a streets-long banquet table in Egypt. That was another compelling image during a lonely time. Coincidentally a neighbor casually said while walking by the boulevard, we ought to “activate” this space more, and so hatched the idea of "the longest day of the year, the longest table of the year."

Much of the beauty of this event is that everyone is invited, and no one runs or sponsors it. News spreads word-of-mouth (or by driving by at just the right time), and everyone pitches in to make it happen. Just bring a table or share with someone, chairs, food and drink, and whatever else seems festive to you: candelabras, tablecloths, etc.. We have on hand some plastic cutlery, napkins and cups from last year, but bring everything else you might like and want to share. Also, bring everyone! I think our age range has been 2 months to 85 years in the past. And the more people, the longer and merrier the grand table!

For the 2 or so hours we’re there, we'll share food and drink, toast each other, measure the combined tables' length, and occupy this mostly underused green space with a lot of goodwill and togetherness, because we can! (Also, please note: the Mt. Baker festival will take place the day before on the 20th, also seizing the opportunity to bring folks together under this 1/3 mile of green canopy. Good ideas fall from the sky sometimes.)

We'll set up around 5:30, and just before it gets dark, wheel out garbage bins, clean up, and haul it all away. 

The length of the blvd, a third of a mile, is a ways to go, but as you can see below, we’re growing exponentially, so maybe by century’s end?

All best, Arni, Dave and neighbors 

(By the way, this is not just a neighborhood event — everyone welcome)

A brief history in pictures:

2025 — 170 feet