National Picnic Month
To my kids, there are few things as magical as a picnic. I have to say, I am not exactly sure I see the whole appeal. But, apparently eating food outside makes it a lot more fun and exciting.
Well, they are in luck since July is National Picnic month and there are a lot of great places to picnic in Marshfield.
One of the first places that comes to mind is, of course, Wildwood Park & Zoo, 1800 S. Roddis Ave. This park has a great playground, a zoo and many great picnic areas, both covered and uncovered.
But Wildwood is very close to my house, so in the eyes of my 3-year-old and 5-year-old, it is…BORING. So, we have to find other options.
Lately, I have been sort of obsessed with Benedict Park, 1703 Washara Drive. The playground is perfectly sized for my preschoolers and there are a lot of nice, flat areas for running or playing of silly, kid games. One disadvantage is that this park does not have a bathroom (so make sure to take a potty break before you leave!).
A couple other parks that are great for a little play time and/or picnic are Braem Park, 905 N. Cedar Ave., and Griese Park, 1001 29th Street.
Once you have figured out the location, it is important to figure out a tasty menu. Now, the kiddos are often satisfied with simple pleasures such as a good peanut butter and jelly sandwich (if you have no allergies in the group of course). But, for adults you often have to bring more of your food “A game.”
For meats on the grill, a great option in town is to check out Hewitt Meats, 1301 S. Central Ave. As you can read in our past article here, they offer many great options for grilling including a very impressive list of brat options.
Once you have the main dish figured out, you are going to need side dishes. One of my favorite options is checking out the deli at Festival Foods, 1613 N. Central Ave. They have a wide variety of potato salads and pasta salads (my favorites are their Our Own Potato Salad and their tasty Greek Salad with feta cheese and olives…yum). And if your family eats gluten-free, no worries…they have most of their deli items in gluten-free options.
If you visit Festival on the weekends, you can also stop by the Farmer’s Market in the parking lot and grab some fresh fruits and veggies for the meal.
Get out and celebrate the last couple of days in July’s National Picnic month! Scoop up your kiddos, grab a picnic blanket, a few tasty morsels and enjoy a meal outdoors, it sounds like it will be the perfect weather for it this weekend!
