By Laurie Maemura

As the Lion King’s “Circle of Life” played, hundreds of strangers, gathered in Golden Gate Park, raised their phones.

On a ladder on the first day of February, 27-year-old Jay Karanjia held a slightly frozen Uncrustable sandwich to the sky. He had never had one before.

Invented in 1995 by The J. M. Smucker Company, Uncrustables is a sealed, crustless sandwich of jelly placed between two layers of peanut butter.

Karanjia, a Los Angeles native, said his mother was against processed foods.

“My therapist told me I needed to try new things in 2026. I have never had an Uncrustable, so here we are,” Karanjia told the crowd. “At this point, this event is not about me, it’s about us.”

“It’s ingrained in a lot of American childhoods, (and) I was always deprived of it,” Karanjia said. “I don’t think that there was an idea that we would buy pre-made PB&J’s. It might be like breaking an immigrant parent’s heart.”

The National Football League fan was also surprised to read in a 2024 New York Times article that his favorite professional athletes consume at least 80,000 of these sandwiches per year.

The celebration was part of an immeasurable goal. Karanjia said he has been wanting to confront his fear of missing out. He has taken trapeze and yoga classes and sung live karaoke. Hosting his first party felt like the next step.

Across San Francisco, self-organized events built around hyper-specific activities such as sit club, soup parties, PowerPoint nights and coffee raves regularly draw hundreds of strangers through an invitational platform called Partiful.

In an era where social interaction increasingly happens online, social gatherings like Karanjia’s “Uncrustables Party” turn internet curiosity into real-world connection and friendships.

Originally having the event set to private for 30 friends, Karanjia recalled one of his mantras: “Whimsicality can’t be rule-followed. You have to let things flow.”

When the event went public, 667 people RSVP’d “Going,” bringing the total to 1,453. Karanjia was anxious.

Did he have enough sandwiches for 1,000 people? How would they stay frozen? How much would this all cost? He provided his Venmo account and asked angel investors to chip in.

“There’s a lot of joy out there that can be had with putting yourself into your situation,” Karanjia said. “Uncrustables Party was an excessive, extreme way to do that.”

Some flew from Orange County for the event. Others arrived with coolers full of sandwiches to share.

Grace Guerrero said the snack was in her childhood packed lunches, and now she normally keeps a freezer stocked at home.

“There’s something nostalgic about Uncrustables,” Guerrero said. “I’m not even quite sure what it is, but the ratio of peanut butter to jelly is perfect. When I eat them, I’m thrown back to the ’90s. There’s just something really comforting about it.”

Jey Kottalam, who brought an iced cooler of at least 10 Uncrustables boxes, was excited to share the moment with Karanjia and other first-timers.

“It’s like a cultural phenomenon, and I’ve been missing out,” Kottalam said. “I’ve heard it’s actually better than a PB&J, that it’s like a more perfected experience.”

Noam D’Lasso, who won first place in the fastest eating contest, said his second Uncrustable of the day was unpleasant and ultimately preferred the crust.

Karanjia said his mother was hesitant at first then supportive of his “fun” event.

“I made mom proud today,” Karanjia said.

Empty raspberry and grape boxes were stacked beside a table of untouched sliced bread and open jars for the crust-lovers. For a sandwich built for convenience, it took three decades and hundreds of strangers to turn it into a celebration.

Editor’s Note: This story was edited on 3/19 to correctly reflect Karanjia’s age. He is 27.