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Soon it will be July 5th
– and that means there will be elaborate celebrations
for the first birthday of the Fiat 500. From Italy to
Japan, from France to South Africa: All those who own
and those who can’t wait to get one will be the guests
of honour of the "500 PICNIC”, the initiative conceived
to share the passion and emotion that distinguish this
huge community (picnic guests will receive a gift
"basket" signed Guzzini with several Fiat gadgets).
Each party will feature concerts, art exhibits, and
games, as well as performances by artists selected
through the “500 PICNIC Artists” competition. Various
nominations of various nationalities have logged on to
www.picnic.fiat500.com and were then evaluated following
a special on-line casting organised in collaboration
with MTV. Furthermore, in just over one month, the site
recorded more than 33,000 visitors and a total of nearly
115,000 pages visited.
One lucky name will be selected from among the winners
and awarded a Fiat 500, while other artists will receive
a Fender guitar personalised with the “500 1st Birthday
Limited Edition” logo. Thanks to the support of “M.
Casale Bauer” (Italian import company), Fender
customised this unique model of the most famous guitar
of all time - the Stratocaster – which, like the Fiat
500 - has always been considered a true icon in the
world of music.
Athens, Budapest, Copenhagen, London, Milan, Munich,
Palermo, Paris, Rome, Rotterdam, Tokyo, Valencia, Hel,
Liège, Zurich, and Cape Town: these are the chosen
cities that, either in parks or on beaches, will welcome
thousands of persons brought together by a common
passion for this new car. The “500 PICNIC” was organised
in these cities as a moment of gathering and
entertainment in keeping with the 500 spirit. There will
be plenty of music to listen to and performances by the
winning artists of the “500 PICNIC Artists” competition
to enjoy.
Music, art, and fun: these ingredients will guarantee a
successful event that will involve new FIAT 500 owners
and those who are still itching to get one (222,000 have
been ordered so far). And each “500 PICNIC” is aiming to
satisfy specific national tastes by featuring local
attractions: for example, in South Africa, where the
initiative coincides with a commercial debut of the Fiat
500, symbolic sites like Table Mountain, the vineyards
of Groot Constantia, and the zoological gardens of
Johannesburg have been chosen.
In Tokyo, instead, the event is slated to take place
along the ocean in Kasai Rinkai Park, where an "exotic"
Italian-style brunch will be offered while guests,
together with an emerging Japanese artist, will be able
to create works of art with recycled materials. The "500
PICNIC" events in Holland, Poland, and Greece have been
organised near the sea as well. For example, in
Rotterdam, the party will be on a boat, but the guests
will be able to show off their cars anyway by lining
them up along the quay; in Hel the guests will celebrate
at the famous Fiat Playa of this Polish seaside resort;
finally, in Athens, the event will take place at
Akanthus, an exclusive hot spot overlooking the sea, and
will conclude with spectacular fireworks over the water.
In Italy, the “500 PICNIC” will take place in Milan (at
the IdroPark), in Rome (at the Caracalla Spa), and in
Palermo (at the Favorita Park). These splendid urban
parks will offer moments of relaxation, concerts,
artistic exhibitions, and games, as well as the
traditional picnic out in the open air. The star of the
show will always be the FIAT 500 and its numerous fans,
who will be able to enjoy a sort of Italian Pride Day
through socialisation and respect for the environment.
In Switzerland the party will open with a parade of Fiat
500s that will leave from the various dealerships to
reach the lake in Zurich, where enjoyable excursions in
pedal-boats and the delivery of ten Fiat 500s are
planned. London, instead, will host the event at the
prestigious Alexandra Park, where guests will spend a
day of relaxation and good food, livened up with street
games, sports, and music. The Parisian affair will be a
sophisticated one at the private club “Tir aux Pigeons”
in the Bois de Boulogne, while in Munich the “500
PICNIC” will take place at the Englischer Garten at the
Gallery “haus der Kunst”, and focus on the link that has
always united art and design with the Fiat 500, a “Made
in Italy” icon loved worldwide.
In conclusion, the city of Budapest - where the event
will be characterised by sports events, artistic
performances, and the absolute involvement of the
public, also thanks to the participation of two
anchormen from the last Hungarian talent show – and
Valencia, where the “500 PICNIC" guests will be welcomed
in a large urban park with numerous musicians, street
artists, and bands, all topped off with picnic baskets
brimming with Italian specialties. In Copenhagen, the
500 will be the star of an “Urban Picnic” that will
bring guests to surprising and unlikely sites around the
city with caravans of 500s, both vintage and new, that
will invade the Danish capital. The Fiat 500 birthday
will also be celebrated in Belgium with an unusual
event: an “on the road” party along the route of the
Liège-Brescia-Liège rally is set to start July 10th and
end on the 20th. Owners of Fiat 500s will be special
guests at the starting line of this prestigious sports
event.
All in all, “the car of the people, created by the
people” is looking forward to celebrating its first year
of life with its own "500 community". And why not? After
all, the idea of this grand party came from these same
people and their yearning to meet each other, spend time
together, and share their passion for a car that
represents a true automotive icon, emblem of the
excellence of Italian design, a national treasure of
stories and significance that belongs to everyone.
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