|July 28 Family Get-Together at Mitchell Park

July 28 Birthday Party in the Park

The Venue:

10 am, Mitchell Park

Mitchell Park is great for large gatherings--Stephen's dad threw a fabulous rehearsal dinner barbecue for everybody on Julia and Stephen's wedding guest list. But that was 12 years ago, at a different time of year and different time of day.

My concerns for the birthday party venue, and how it worked out, and things to do differently next time, are below in no specific order.

Would it be too crowded? Would there be convenient parking|?|| Would the distance from car to picnic site be daunting? Short answer is no, yes and no. I checked the Sunday before and was surprised to find parking, plenty of available grassy, shady areas to throw blankets and sit, and a small enough group of people using Magical Bridge playground that the ambiance felt relaxed and the kids didn't have to wait in long lines for turns.  So that part worked out fine. 

Next time I'd reserve a table if we know far enough in advance. I'd consider bringing my own card tables to have something to more easily serve food. Serving from a picnic cloth works but is notoriously risky for spills and someone stepping in it.  I brought a quilt and tablecloth to throw on the ground. Next time I'd ask someone else to bring a quilt or two (in case we missed it at the last minute). We got ousted by folks who reserved the tables we set up on at first, and luckily found another nearby. Next time we might be bumped twice.  The  barbecues have no chairs. It is all sitting on the ground which was perfect ambiance for our 3-hour, relaxed, long visit.


Would the playground be too far away? I at least didn't think anybody felt stranded on kid duty. |Kids could easily navigate the distance without getting tired. Rashan and Rashi had a few things to do in the picnic space to amuse themselves while adults lounged around.  The space at the playground (which includes small picnic tables and lots of low seats facing the outdoor theater)  wouldn't be conducive to a 3-hour stay or bg group. I wouldn't make any changes next year


Would we be too hot? It was too hot in the sun (low 80s to mid 80s by 1 pm) but we were able to enjoy shade just about all the time. No changes needed..

The Menu:

Beverages: everyone brought something, and someone brought a big jug of water to share--good thing in hot weather. I brought an extra bottle to wash hands with, but we were right by a water fountain so that wasn't needed.

Foods: Pasta Salad, washed and sliced veggies, hummus and pita chips, roll-up sandwiches (turkey, avocado, havarti, tomato, hummus on lavash). Fresh fruit. birthday cake (strawberries baked in cake batter similar to plum torte batter with a substitution of almond flour for some of the regular flour) and cream . The cake pleased the Birthday Girl because it was all about the fruit and the cream--sweet, but not frosting-y. And it was more practical to serve, and leave out for an hour  or more on a hot day. Foods were definite winners for hot weather and unpredictable table space.