Where in the Davis/Sacramento area to host a picnic party?
This coming June, a good friend is about to get her hard earned doctoral degree at UCD, and I've agreed to throw a celebratory party in her honor. I'm thinking that a picnic/bbq event might be just the right thing, and I know Davis a bit, but I don't know the wider area well enough to know where would be a nice place to go. Are there good sites along the river in Sacramento? Maybe near Lake Berryessa? Any ideas? Thanks!
Apr 27, 2017
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I just visited Sacramento recently, and played tourist for a day. I noticed that across from Old Town, on the other side of the river, across the lift bridge, there were people having weddings and barbecues. It might be super hot there, though.... in any case, there didn't seem to be built in facilities, looked like mostly pre-planned events, I surmise if it's bigger you'd need a permit. In any case, there were plenty of combo sunny and shady areas that would probably work well, and it was convenient to downtown hotels.
Within Davis itself, there are many, many beautiful, tree-filled parks. The UC Davis arboretum has spaces for picnics, Central Park downtown has a great space, and there are neighborhood parks all over town with picnic facilities. If you go along the river or up to the lake, parking will be an issue. You can reserve a picnic area in Davis through the city (but have a city resident do the reservation so that you save money): http://cityofdavis.org/city-hall/parks-and-community-services/rentals-f…. Have fun!
For the Davis option, I wanted to add that you can rent out a city swimming pool for like $200 for 2 hours which has been a fun option for us when we have thrown bigger parties. We brought our own food and there were tables to set it up on. If you want something nicer, you can rent out Putah Creek Lodge which has bathrooms, I think a kitchen, and access to the big fields around it to play/socialize in, and convenient parking. I think there are also barbecues you can use but I won't swear to it.