LAZING ON THE LAWN: There is a decidedly British bent to the Princeton University Art Museum’s Picnic on the Lawn this year, taking place Thursday evening. From “The Great Princeton Bake Off” to English country dancing, the theme is inspired by the museum’s current exhibit, “Great British Drawings from the Ashmolean Museum.”

Ever since the BBC debuted The Great British Bake Off in 2010, televised baking contests have grown in popularity across the world. There is The Great American Baking Competition. There are versions in Belgium, Estonia, Thailand, and Brazil, to name just a few locations.

This week, Princeton tries its own, non-televised version of the baking show phenomenon with The Great Princeton Bake Off, a highlight of the Princeton University Art Museum’s annual Picnic on the Lawn. The contest is among several activities planned for the event, which is Thursday, August 3 starting at 6 p.m. just outside the museum on the campus.

“We wanted to think of things that have a British theme, to go with our exhibit ‘Great British Drawings from the Ashmolean Museum,’ and we decided this would be a fun addition,” said Brice Batchelor-Hall, manager of outreach for the museum. “We weren’t really sure how much enthusiasm there would be, but we have had a lot of inquiries and there are over 30 entries. The show has been tremendously popular and people seem to know it well.”

Judges for the bake off are local pastry experts. There is Jen Carson of LiLLiPiES, Anita Waldenberger of Cafe Vienna, and Jerry Luz, the University’s executive catering chef. They will consider entries in four categories focused on brownies and cookies. While the judges will be tasting the baked goods, the public will not. “We can’t share them with people at the picnic because of legal issues, but there will be plenty of cookies and lots of other food from Prospect House, which will cater the event,” said Ms. Batchelor-Hall. “It’s a picnic, after all, so food is important.”

Guided tours of the British drawings show will be given at 6:45 and 7:15 p.m. In conjunction with another exhibit, “Transient Effects: The Solar Eclipses and Celestial Landscapes of Howard Russell Butler,” University professor Robert Vanderbei will give guests an opportunity to see Jupiter in the daytime using a telescope and a computer. Mr. Vanderbei teaches operations research and financial engineering in the Department of Astrophysical Sciences.

Additional activities at the picnic include English country dance demonstrations by Judith Rivkin, accompanied by violinist Michael Bell and flutist John Burkhalter; a live band called Kosher Jazz, a memory card scavenger hunt for children, and games on the lawn coordinated by the local YMCA. At sunset, the film The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe will be screened.

The museum’s annual picnic has become a local tradition. “It’s all about community engagement,” Ms. Batchelor-Hall said. “It’s to thank the community for supporting us all year long, and maybe reach new members who haven’t found us before. It’s a feel-good event. And it’s free.”