Who doesn’t love a picnic! With Labor Day weekend just around the corner, sharing a meal al fresco with friends and family is a great way to slow down, relax, and commune with nature. And food seems to taste better when enjoyed outdoors! If you’re celebrating a special occasion or planning a romantic soirée, consider booking a curated picnic. A professional picnic company will create a custom experience, including location, menu, decor, set up, and pack down, so all you have to do is show up and enjoy. Or grab a pretty picnic basket or insulated backpack, fill it with your favorite goodies, and head out to a local park. We’ve rounded up some great resources near Circa, for you and all the picnic people in your life.
Picnic Makers began with a simple idea: create beautiful outdoor experiences where people can slow down, celebrate life, and enjoy meaningful moments together. The beauty of LA’s beaches, parks, and sunsets inspired the founders to create experiences that celebrate the California lifestyle: elegant, relaxed, and surrounded by nature. Your luxury picnic includes a 2-hour experience with a designer setup, low tables, boho umbrellas, pillows, decor, tableware, and a Bluetooth speaker. Food isn’t included in the base setup, but you can add curated options or request chef catering during checkout. You’re also welcome to bring your own snacks or treats.
Santa Monica Picnic Company offers a choice of locations including Santa Monica Beach, Santa Monica Bluffs, and Clover Park, a lush, tree-lined park in the heart of Ocean Park. If you prefer a different beach, a park, your backyard, or another custom spot, email or call and the team will do their best to make it happen. Choose from packages such as picnic, cabana, beach chairs, weddings, and large groups. From intimate picnics for two to corporate events for 500, they aim to make the event planning process as simple and enjoyable as possible.
As seen on Bravo, NBC, Travel & Leisure, People, and more, The Picnic Collective specializes in styled, customized picnics for a luxury outdoor social experience. They take care of the set-up and pack down, so all you have to do is arrive with your guests for a care-free, memorable experience. The Picnic Collective rekindles the magical tradition of beautiful handmade picnics as you savor the ceremony of delicious food from a traditional wicker basket, shared in great company in California’s beautiful natural settings. From a romantic dinner for two and group gatherings to bespoke themes or unusual locations, their fine picnic dining experiences use locally-sourced seasonal ingredients that reconnect you to the pure joy of food.
The deluxe Sausalito picnic basket from William Sonoma is loaded with full wine and cheese service for four and plenty of romantic vintage charm. The willow wicker basket features a durable lining, removable cooler section, plus a wine picnic set with plates and flatware securely attached to the lid with leather straps and wineglasses held in place in the body of the basket with elastic. And there’s still plenty of room for hot and cold foods, wine, cheese, charcuterie and more. With all of the necessary accessories for a perfect picnic, the Sausalito picnic basket is a beautiful addition to your outdoor repertoire or a thoughtful gift for friends and family.
Picnic Time Classic Wine & Cheese Picnic Basket
When entrepreneurs Gustavo Cosaro and Mario Tagliati couldn’t find high-quality picnic baskets for their wine and cheese shop, they decided to make their own and Picnic Time was born. The set includes picnic basket, 2 wineglasses, waiter-style corkscrew, cheese knife, and cutting board. The Picnic basket is hand woven of willow with red gingham lining and gold-tone stainless-steel hardware. Wineglasses are made of clear, durable plastic and the cutting board is made of solid oak. Available to order from William Sonoma.
No one would ever expect that a bag as stylish as the Frontier Picnic Backpack from Picnic Time was in fact a fully loaded picnic basket cooler capable of servicing up to four people, but that’s exactly what it is! The two-tiered backpack has a heat-sealed cooler on the bottom, a dry compartment on top, and adjustable padded straps for additional storage. Each backpack includes two water/wine pockets on each side, four 8’’ Melamine plates, four sets of stainless steel forks, knives and spoons, salt and pepper shakers, four durable tumblers, and one stainless steel waiter-style corkscrew.
Gloria Molina Grand Park 200 N Grand Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90012
Gloria Molina Grand Park, with its majestic views extending from the Music Center to City Hall, provides Angelenos a place where they can come together to celebrate, reflect, and play. Throughout Grand Park, open spaces are available for casual sitting, leisurely strolling, and dining al fresco. Grand Park has four distinct areas featuring amenities ranging from a restored historic Arthur J. Will Memorial Fountain with a new wade-able membrane pool, a small intimate performance lawn, a community terrace planted with drought-tolerant specimen plants, and a grand event lawn.
Los Angeles State Historic Park 1245 N Spring St. Los Angeles, CA 90012
Often referred to as the “Central Park of Los Angeles,” the 34-acre green space is situated next to the Chinatown Metro Gold Line stop, at the midpoint of an evolving 52-mile Los Angeles River greenway. Formerly referred to as “the Cornfield” by locals, the park is now home to grassland, orange trees, public art, and a mile-long run/walk trail. Park visitors can wander pathways and enjoy a view of downtown, as well as discover and celebrate the natural and cultural heritage of Los Angeles. You can run, walk, ride a bike, have a picnic, fly a kite, and even look for urban wildlife, such as birds traveling down the Pacific flyway.
Vista Hermosa Natural Park 100 N Toluca St. Los Angeles, CA 90026
Located at the western gateway to Downtown Los Angeles, 10.5-acre Vista Hermosa Park is an urban natural park that boldly returns the serenity and diversity of nature to the Los Angeles urban core. Operated in collaboration with the Los Angeles Unified School District and the City of Los Angeles, the park features walking trails, streams, meadows, oak savannahs, picnic grounds, and a nature-themed playground amidst native Mediterranean vegetation.
Photo Credits:
Photo #1: Picnic Makers Los Angeles
Photo #2: Picnic Makers Los Angeles
Photo #3: Santa Monica Picnic Company
Photo #4: The Picnic Collective
Photo #5: William Sonoma
Photo #6: William Sonoma
Photo #7: Picnic Time
Photo #8: Gloria Molina Grand Park
Photo #9: Los Angeles State Historic Park
Photo #10: Mountains Recreation & Conservation Authority (MRCA)
