The Essential Vacaville Picnic Guide

The Location:

Location is key for your ideal picnic. Vacaville is home to some amazing outdoor areas perfect for every picnic. The location of your perfect picnic depends on your needs. If you would like more space and for family activities, then your best bet is one of our beautiful parks. Andrews Park, Meadowlands Park, Arbor Oaks Park, and North Orchard Park are all wonderful options for parks in town.

Lagoon Valley and Peña Adobe Regional Park are a short, 5-minute drive just West of town. (Click here for our guide on the park itself) Here you will find plenty of space for Disc Golf, Football, Soccer, and even a dog park for the furry members of your family.

For a bit more of a scenic picnic you can hike to the top of several different hills Lagoon Valley Park and get gorgeous views of the entire valley or overlooking our wonderful city. Plan a picnic for later in the day so that you can take in one of our breathtaking sunsets!

The Food:

There are so many options when it comes to picnic food. Whether you are planning for a full charcuterie board or packing takeout from one of our local restaurants you can have a delicious meal with a view!

The easiest and fastest way to picnic would be to order takeout and take it with you to your picnic spot. With all our restaurants offering takeout options you will have no problem having just what you are craving on your picnic. Keep in mind that certain foods are easier than others to eat while on a picnic. If you are planning on a picnic on a hill after hiking then perhaps packing a sandwich from Ike’s, La Borgata, or Mr. Pickles. Planning an easier picnic without much hiking? Ordering takeout from Merchant and Main, Los Reyes, or Pietro’s would all be excellent options.

Want to pack your own picnic? Stop by Nugget Market for all your picnic foods. There you can pick out assorted cheeses, crackers, fresh baked bread, fruits, or nuts for any charcuterie board. Their wide range of snack options will work perfectly with your picnic.

PRO TIP: Check out the Vacaville Farmers Market on Saturday mornings in Downtown and pick up all the snacks for a picnic in one place. Get food ready to eat or pack breads and hummus or fruits another delicious goodies. The Farmers Market is right next to Andrews Park for an easy and convenient Saturday morning picnic. Or pack all your goodies from the Farmers Market and take them over to Lagoon Valley Park and have a nice morning picnic overlooking the water!

The essential picnic packing list:

Picnic Blanket

The Bigger, the Better! A big blanket is necessary if you plan on laying out and having plenty of room to relax and not touch the ground. Have you ever heard someone say:” I wish I had a smaller blanket”? We haven’t either. Big and easy to clean is must.

Plenty of Water

It can be hot outside this time of year. It is very important to stay hydrated especially if your picnic includes a hike. Plan on the safe side and pack more than enough water for your picnic.

Sunblock and Bug Spray

If there are two things that are unavoidable at a picnic it’s the sun and bugs. Do not let a sunburn ruin your picnic and don’t let the bugs bite and pester you away. Long sleeves help and can be fine for a hike and short picnic but if you plan on being out for an hour or more play it safe and use both sunblock and bug spray.

Paper Towels and Utensils

You do not want to be caught empty-handed during a picnic when you just had a delicious sandwich or burrito and do not have anything to clean your hands. Pack plenty of napkins or paper towels, wet wipes if you can find some. Make sure you pack enough utensils too. The lest thing you want is to be on the top of a hill ready to chow down and realize you don’t have a fork!

Picnic Basket or Backpack

A picnic basket is not necessarily essential to a great picnic but it does help! Packing your picnic can be done in many ways but what is important is that you do it in a way that your food and beverages do not spill. A backpack can do this job too so long as you take care in how you package your food and carefully arrange it.