A Perfect Picnic

Picnics are one of the best things about a new summer! Gathering at the park with friends and seeing fellow picnickers with their romping dogs and kids, shaking out a blanket, searching for the perfect spot, pouring the first drink, unpacking the basket of goodies, unwinding and finding comfort on the lumpy ground…These are my favorite parts of a good picnic. Add to that a delicious spread and fair entertainment and I’m the happiest girl around.

Every summer for the last 28 years Austin Shakespeare has been producing and performing the popular works of William Shakespeare for free at Zilker Park. So on Saturday we met a few friends for a lively Bollywood interpretation of Twelfth Night (aptly subtitled Or What You Will), and a fantastic picnic.

What to bring to make your own picnic magical:

Foodstuffs
• Drink / pino noir, sangiovese, Austin Beer Works Pearl Snap
• Bread & crackers / Fresh Baguette and Raincoast Fig Crisps
• Fruit / grapes, cherries, pears and apples
• Cured meats / Olli Salumeria Napoli Salami, smoked salmon and whitefish
• Cheeses / goat cheese, aged goat gouda, Pyrenees Ossau-Iraty sheep milk cheese
• Vegetables / cherry tomatoes, avocado, green and black olives
• Dips / hummus, olive oil, aged balsamic vinegar
• Nuts / almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds
• Dessert / candied ginger chocolate

Gear
• Picnic basket
• Picnic blanket
• Corkscrew
• Cutting board
• A few sharp knives
• Cups, napkins, plates and forks for everyone
• Lantern or spill-proof candle
• Trash bag
• Bug spray!

Events & Excuses to get you Picnicking
• Highs below 95°
• Austin Shakespeare productions
• Free movies in the park
• Birthdays, anniversaries, and celebrations
• Afternoon tea
• Exploring a state park for the first time
• Going for a relaxing drive in the country
• Watching the bats take flight
• Date night!