When an Airport Lawn Becomes a Picnic Ground

English | 中文

Food, familiarity, and the quiet reclaiming of public space in Johor.

Airports are built for movement, not lingering. Yet over one year-end weekend in Johor, a patch of grass near Senai International Airport slowed things down. Families laid out picnic mats, food was shared openly, and the usual rush gave way to something softer. The setting alone suggested a shift — everyday culture unfolding where it normally wouldn’t.

Picnic in The Air 2025 took shape over two days, moving between cake culture and the familiar ritual of mangkuk tingkat. Bakers, home cooks and small producers gathered, while visitors drifted between tastings and casual activities. The food wasn’t framed as spectacle. It felt recognizable, rooted in routine, and intentionally unpolished.

What lingered most was the absence of noise. Online chatter stayed modest, circulating through local blogs and personal posts rather than viral clips. That quiet pointed to an event designed for presence, not performance — experienced more in person than on screens.

In turning an airport lawn into a picnic ground, the event hinted at a wider question: how many ordinary spaces are still waiting to be used differently? In Johor, food became less about promotion and more about gathering — a reminder that culture doesn’t always need a stage to be felt.

Source: Picnic in The Air