PICNIC in the park which was firs held in 2023, will again bring the commuity together with a big family-focussed party, next Friday March 22.
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The popular family fun evening “Picnic in the Park” is on next Friday, March 22, from 5pm-8pm at Ōtorohanga Domain.
However, co-organiser Kat Brown-Merrin said the event was currently without many on-site food options.
She hopes someone is prepared to sell hearty dinners on the night: a hāngī would be ideal, but a sausage sizzle would work too.
While some great vendors have put their hands up, they have been unable to guarantee their presence. There will definitely be ice-cream and doughnuts on offer – but not yet enough hot food, she said.
If that didn’t happen, picnic-goers could still bring hot food from the many local takeaways, or from home, she said.
The timing has been chosen to work in with families who may be overcommitted on the weekends.
“We are holding it on a Friday afternoon, so that when you finish work, you can head down there and just breathe, with your friends and your whānau. It’s not taking out of your Saturday or Sunday,” Kat said.
“Come out, just join us. It will be a real family, whānau-centred afternoon before we get into winter.”
The band Yarda Yarda have volunteered to entertain the crowd with live music.
“There are activities we’ll be putting on ourselves – like rock painting. It’s very tailored for the younger kids. There will also be a climbing wall open at the Harvest centre, from 4pm-6pm.
The swimming pools are going to be open all the way through, and they’ll look at doing an activity.”
Kat said the community had been “really supportive”.
The project is the brainchild of community board member Tori (Koroheke) Muller.
“She wanted to bring the community together with a picnic,” Kat said.
“We did one last year, which was really good, really successful.
“We had some local and out-of-town food trucks come, people brought picnics, kids’ games, activities, and a band that played.
“We’re going to do it again next weekend – the same sort of things. And because Children’s Day is the week before, instead of holding different things we will combine it – to celebrate children and bring the
community together for a picnic day.
