National Teddy Bear Day Picnic

National Teddy Bear Day Picnic & Museum Outing

Group Shot of Attendees with their Stuffies at the New Britain Museum of American Art; Photo Credit to Cole's Friend

Earlier this year, someone else in my fashion community planned a Teddy Bear Picnic in the spring time, which I couldn't attend because I was at the Jane Austen Tea instead. However, they suggested that I make another Teddy Bear picnic in the fall, so that others who couldn't make the spring one could try attending as well. Apparently National Teddy Bear Day falls on September 9 every year, so I made my picnic date as close as possible to that day while falling on a weekend.

The first Sunday in September 2025, we found ourselves in New Britain, CT, on a bleak late summer day. The weather had been warm, but raining in the morning, so I told folks to start at the New Britain Museum of American Art around 11:00 am, and then we would proceed to the Walnut Hill Park Rose Garden (just a few blocks behind the museum) for the picnic part by about 1:30 pm. It was honestly optional to attend both parts of the meeting, so you'll see some folks did one or the other. Originally I was going to make the meeting just about the picnic, and then maybe the art museum afterwards, but the weather extended our meeting and the museum was just as much of a treat as the picnic at the park!

Museum Group with their Stuffies on the Bear Bench; Photo Credit to Rex

The fashion prompt for the Teddy Bear Picnic was to bring a stuffy and match your stuffy in style/ color. Some people assume that a Teddy Bear picnic would automatically be a Sweet style meeting, but it could have been interpreted in any EGL style. The majority of those pictured at the museum are in fact, Sweet style, but there are a few outliers. 

I used to go to the New Britain Museum of American Art quite frequently between 2004-2010, as I had been attending CCSU and still visiting the area every week as I held onto my college radio show a few years after graduation. I absolutely knew that they had this bronze bear bench somewhere in the permanent galleries, so it was my intention to get everyone's stuffies on it wherever it ended up being. It turns out that it is very close to the main entrance on the first floor!

Pahl and Danielle with their Teddy Bears at NBMAA. Photo credit to Pixie

Pahl used this late summer weather opportunity to pull out his new three piece linen suit. His pants and jacket are a beautiful chartreuse green with a burgundy pocket square. To enhance the burgundy contrast, he is wearing a deep red and navy paisley waist coat over a white blouse. He is wearing his garden themed bow tie, which he had to self-tie. He is also wearing a straw boater hat with a red and navy striped hat band and black oxfords as his shoes. Timmy, his childhood teddy bear that is light brown in color wears a black bow tie to match Pahl's look.  Pahl's look is undeniably coded as Classic/ Historically inspired. 

In preparation for the spring teddy bear picnic, I had purchased this posable limb stuffed bear bag from Chinese Indie brand Mademoiselle Pearl. Honestly I was inspired after the Doll Shop meeting to acquire a doll or a stuffy to bring to meetings, and this bear bag was the perfect solution. It is big enough to wear doll clothes, and I even purchased a few EGL sets for it to wear in the future! 

Then to match my stuffy, I went with ivory and brown in my coordinate. Sometimes ivory and brown are often used in Classic styles, but when it comes to almost anything chocolate themed, it's going to lean more Sweet, especially with a shorter skirt length like the one in my dress. I started with my Angelic Pretty Musee Du Chocolat Low Waist JSK in Ivory. Under it I am wearing a lightweight white cotton high neck blouse. Over it I am wearing the iconic Little Dipper Cotton Bolero Cardigan in Chocolate. If you think you've seen me wear this cardigan before, you have...just in 5 other colors. It's the only thing in my wardrobe that I have been that passionate about thus far, but the price and quality cannot be beat!

I am wearing a soft chocolate brown bear ear head piece and attached to it I have the waist bow that came with the dress. Then I am wearing the Yukine's Box Retro Chocolate Socks, which seem to have been designed around the Angelic Pretty Chocolate line and match extremely well with the crown as well as dripping chocolate motif. To further exemplify chocolate theme, I am wearing a more functional purse in the shape of a chocolate bar, with a little keychain of Rillakuma eating a snack hanging from it. I also have a ring with chocolate on it! Lastly I am wearing a pair of brown Modo Platforms. I actually took the soft bow clips and put them in the back of my hair, as I had two quasi pigtail braids in the back and I wanted to cover up my messy braiding. I also added white lace wristcuffs with brown bows attached to them. You never really see the bows, but its nice to have that little bit of white to echo my blouse. 

Jax and their bear bag. Photo credit to Pixie

Jax is wearing the Dollbe Milk Carton JSK with a lovely white and pink sweet style short sleeve blouse. They have also mixed the coordinate with both food theme and bears like I did with mine. On top they are wearing a white beret with subtle ears poking out, white textured tights, and brown oxfords. I remember when they acquired their polar bear bag at the last swap meet. They could have just kept it white, but they cleverly went to their local Build A Bear, and selected this white and blue waistcoat for their polar bear that even better matches their dress. 

Cole and their bunny stuffy. Photo credit to Pixie

Cole went for a similar sax blue, pink, and white look to what Jax was wearing. She is wearing a celestial carousel themed JSK from Alice Girl, paired with textured white bolero and tights. She also has white nail polish and white sneakers. Her white rabbit stuffy matches her by wearing a light blue ribbon tie. This was her very first meeting and coordinate and I think she did a great job putting it together! 

Colleen at the Museum. Photo credit to Pixie

Here Colleen is pictured on a bench inside the museum wearing a coordinate comprised of white, pink, and brown elements. The theme on her Baby the Stars Shine Bright Chocolate Fascinate Fairytale JSK also incorporates food and chocolate with fantastical architectural details. She is wearing a long sleeve white blouse, brown bear eared headband (similar to mine) with a white bow pinned to it, and elegant lace up white platform rocking horse shoes. 

Pixie at the Museum. I think I took this photo of her

Pixie went 100% bear themed with hers, but continued the white and pink theme like Colleen. She apparently had these care bear themed tights for awhile in her wardrobe, and recently her local Michael's started stocking fabric. She bought most of the available yardage for this Care Bear fabric, and made her own dress, hair bows, and matching holster for her stuffy Buddy, who accompanies her at every meeting. 

At The Rose Garden at Walnut Hill Park

Group Photo at Walnut Hill Park Rose Garden in New Britain. Photo credit to Erik

After a few hours of perusing the galleries at the museum, most of us headed to the Rose Garden at Walnut Hill Park for our picnic portion. Luckily, Erik, Sarah, and Nomi got to the Rose Garden first to look at the options. I had never been to this particular rose garden before, as it had been erected in the years after my peak New Britain visits. It's located on the top of a hill with a central fountain and obelisk surrounded by two concentric rows of roses of various varieties. On either side, there are concrete pavilions with a few picnic benches and trash cans. We selected one of these small pavilions to have our picnic under, as the ground was still too wet to sit on from the rain earlier that day.  It is a much smaller scale than Elizabeth Park Rose Garden in West Hartford, but it's still perfect for a picnic or a little walk among the roses. 

Rex, Jax, and Sarah getting ready to picnic with the gorgeous rose garden behind as well as the other pavilion

Buddy looks on at the amazing spread. Photo credit to Pixie

I didn't tell anyone what to bring and we had an amazing potluck! I brought a salad, Colleen brought Teddy bear head shaped sandwiches, Pahl brought homemade hummus and chips, Sarah and Erik brought a variety of foods they found at a local Polish market 5 minutes down the road, and Nomi made cookies. I know Barbara brought a variety of chips and dips, Pixie and Rex brought fruit as well as beverages and cups, and Jax made an amazing cake. We had about an hour to dig in before the local yellow jacket population discovered us and I lost my appetite. We proceeded to take photos around the roses, at the fountain, and behind the obelisk. 

Pixie and Buddy next to the Trellis

Nomi with Cinnamonroll near the park entrance. Photo credit to Pixie

My bear, in the roses. She looks like a reluctant child.

Rex holding Buddy, and Sarah with her childhood bear, who just got back from Burning Man. Photo credit to Pixie.

Nomi and Barbara, wearing similar colors with their stuffys. Photo credit to Pixie

Danielle and Colleen where chocolate coordinates unite. Photo credit to Pixie

Danielle and Pahl with their bears in the park. Photo credit to Pixie

I liked how brown piping elements on the obelisk matched the frosting on the cakes on my dress. This is so chocolate coded, I think it might even outweigh the bear theme. Photo credit to Pahl

Cute Candid. Photo credit to Pixie

Overall it was a wonderful day even if the weather wasn't the most cooperative. The overcast weather certainly made it easier to edit all the photos for this post, and it allowed us to do two activities in one day as opposed to one! The Rose Garden at Walnut Hill Park is so beautiful, and I highly recommend visiting it next time you are in the area!! I hope to go back next year during the peak season, which is probably early to mid June. But it won't have to be for a Teddy Bear picnic, it could just be for a regular one!