Celebrate local food, support restaurants, and enjoy the outdoors this summer!
The Vermont Fresh Network is excited to present The Great Vermont Picnic this August! Folks across the state are invited to take part in this month-long celebration of the farmer-chef connection.
It’s easy to participate:
Order takeout from any local restaurant.
While you can support ANY Vermont restaurant, farmers market, farmstand, co-op, and more to put together your picnic, we hope you'll choose Vermont Fresh Network chefs & members or search via Seven Days' Good To-Go directory of hundreds of Vermont restaurants across the state. We’ve highlighted only a few suggestions below.
Pair your meal with a VT beverage, cheese, fruit, or other choice Vermont product.
Plan ahead and shop your neighborhood market, farm stand, or co-op for additional to-go goodies. No picnic is complete without a local beverage (think Vermont beer, cider, wine, cocktail, switchel, soda), cheese appetizer, in-season produce, dipping sauce (caramel, honey, maple), dressing, salumi, and more. How Vermont can you make your picnic?
Choose your picnic spot!
Many Vermont farms are open to the public, consider a state park, lake, vineyard, or your own backyard. Take a hike for a picnic with a view. Stay close to home or consult Seven Days’ Staytripper Guide for a day trip in Vermont. Relax at one of the highlighted places below that offer on-site picnics. Where is your favorite picnic spot? We have some suggestions here.
Snap a photo and tag us.
Show off your picnic! Please use #vermontpicnic or #vfneats on Instagram to tag this event - and the folks you supported with your purchases. Alternatively, email your photos to [email protected]. By sharing your #vermontpicnic pictures on Instagram, you'll be entered into a ticket giveaway to Vermont Fresh Network's 25th Annual Forum Dinner in 2021 and be featured in a blog post.
Photo credit: Vermont Fresh Network staff
So, grab your picnic blanket, family members, social distance with friends, and have the best Vermont picnic ever!
"This month-long picnic event is our creative alternative to what would have been our 24th Annual Forum Dinner, a beloved event and our largest fundraiser. Having cancelled the dinner, we are also running a GoFundMe campaign alongside The Great Vermont Picnic to raise funds for our membership and organization. Consider purchasing a small "donation ticket" or covering the membership dues of a restaurant. We look forward to celebrating our 25th anniversary with you next year. Until then, let's have a picnic! Thank you." - Vermont Fresh Network staff
Photo credit: Edson Hill, Stowe
Some DigInVT places offering special picnic ideas:
Boston Post Dairy, Enosburg Falls: Shop their farm store for items to pair with your takeout. Choose between their artisanal cheeses, maple products, breads, crackers, jams, mustard, dressings, and more.
City Market, Onion River Co-op, Burlington: Visit your local Co-op for all of your picnic essentials, ready-to-go meals, and the very best seasonal favorites from Vermont farmers. The Co-op offers boxed lunches, fresh sushi, custom sandwiches, and a variety of pre-packaged options to make planning the perfect picnic a walk in the park!
Champlain Valley Apiaries, Middlebury: Don’t forget the locally produced honey! Shop their store to drizzle honey over your crackers, cheese, Vermont summer sausage, and more. If you’ve ever seen their table display at our Annual Forum Dinner, the Cheese Festival, or other events, you know their honey pairs well with Vermont’s summer bounty.
Dedalus Wine Shop, Market & Wine Bar, Burlington: Stop by anytime they are open, order from the counter, wait for your food and wine, and either take the order home/away or enjoy it on one of the first-come, first-serve picnic tables. Put together your own picnic by purchasing cheese, charcuterie, other products, and wine from the market.
Doc Ponds, Stowe: Doc Burgers, boozy milkshakes, and all of your other Doc favorites are served to-go, 7 days a week. Please order online at www.docponds.com.
Edson Hill, Stowe: Reserve your picnic experience for two on their picturesque 38 acre estate. All picnics serve two guests and include everything you need for the perfect experience, including a blanket, reusable tote to transport your picnic, cloth napkins, plates, silverware, cutlery, glassware, and Pellegrino water.
Four Columns Inn, Newfane: Order takeout from Artisan Restaurant, Tavern & Garden, where farm-to-table dishes are prepared with fresh, seasonally grown food. Get takeout in the traditional sense and it will be boxed to-go. Or, choose to eat at one of the many tables set up in their gardens by the pond and stream. Request food be plated on real plates with silverware; food will be served on trays ready for customers to collect and enjoy on-site.
Jed’s Maple Products, Derby: Order specialty items that perfectly complement a picnic - mustards, salad dressings, marinade, maple jelly, maple kettle corn, maple cotton candy, ice cream toppings, and more. Available online on their website or at their store in Derby.
JJ Hapgood General Store and Eatery, Peru: Order takeout and specialty Vermont products with curbside pick up for your picnic. JJ Hapgood offers breakfast, lunch, wood fired pizza, and dinner specials to go, Wednesday to Sunday. Choose other choice items from their bakery, cheese case, wine selection, and more to complete your picnic.
Knoll Farm, Fayston: Choose from 3 different Picnic Baskets, full of delicious locally made items like crusty bread, goat cheese, salumi, produce, pestos, jams, and homemade desserts. Enjoy a special spot on their 160 acres of high meadow, gardens, and woodsy glades.
Mad River Distillers, Burlington: No picnic is complete without the perfect drink! Their Bottled Old Fashioneds are a great pairing for any Vermont picnic! Available in 3 styles with their Bourbon Whiskey, Revolution Rye Whiskey, and Maple Cask Rum. All you have to do is grab one, open it up, pour it over ice, sip, and enjoy! Stop in to the Tasting Room or order curbside pickup Wed - Sun.
Michael’s on the Hill, Waterbury Center: Picnic in ultimate farm-to-table style from their summer takeout menu, including packages and dinners for two. See their full cocktail, wine, and beer list available for takeout with the purchase of food. Note they offer a 10% discount for their curbside pickup menu.
Morse Block Deli & Taps, Barre: Order sandwiches and salads made with high-quality, fresh ingredients. Everything is either housemade (including deli meats) or locally sourced. Call for curbside pick-up or delivery Monday through Friday (note: closed weekends). Check their Facebook page for daily specials and don’t forget the VT beer, wine, or cider! Pandemic hours are 10:00am - 4:00pm.
Prohibition Pig Restaurant and Brewery, Waterbury: Order BBQ in the main restaurant or Latin Street Food in the brewery. Cocktails and Crowlers of fresh beer to-go in both! Order online for either the restaurant or the brewery at www.prohibitionpig.com.
Red Hen Baking Co., Middlesex: Perfect picnic foods are available at the takeout window 8:00am - 4:00pm every day. Sandwiches, pastries, and hot & cold drinks for the low maintenance types; cheeses, baguettes, cured meats, and sandwich spreads for those who are planning to pull up a blanket out back on the Camp Meade Green and stay awhile. They sell beer and wine to go, as well.
Shelburne Farms, Shelburne: Order picnic items in advance from the Farm Store and pick up curbside. Choose from Shelburne Farms award winning cheddars, prepared foods from the Inn Kitchen, vegetables and berries from their Market Garden, and many Vermont products. Walk the trail and find a shady picnic spot. Place an order on your way off the Farm, as well, to enjoy once you get home!
Shelburne Vineyard, Shelburne: Make a reservation, enjoy a curated tasting flight or glass of wine, and complete your experience with an al fresco picnic among the vines. Patio and picnic table seating is available. They have a delicious selection of fresh local bread, cheeses, charcuterie, and preserves. All provisions are pre-packaged and ready to be served to order. They provide a cutting board, knives, napkins, and plates with your selections.
SILO Distillery, Windsor: Offering two ready-to-drink cocktails and a hard cider perfect for picnicking - The SILO Maple Manhattan, the SILO Lavender Cosmo, and SILO semi-dry hard cider made from Vermont apples grown and pressed at Moore's Orchard in Pomfret. The cocktails are made in-house from SILO spirits, fresh fruit juices and syrups. Pick up a drink and enjoy a picnic at Windsor’s Artisan Park. Look for additional ready-to-drink cocktails in the coming weeks!
Snow Farm Vineyard, South Hero: Take your selection of Snow Farm wine with glasses and some delectable Vermont snacks, a cheese knife, board, and napkins on a short 20 minute hike up the Fox Hill Trail for breathtaking views and a picnic to remember. The winery also has outdoor space on the lawns and under awnings with a variety of tables.
Stowe Street Cafe, Waterbury: Order takeout for a lunch (or breakfast!) picnic Thursday to Saturday, 9:00am - 1:00pm. Orders will be ready in 15 minutes for pick up at their front door. Menu items include quiche, falafel wraps, protein bowls, sandwiches, baked goods, smoothies, cold brew, and more.
Sugarsnap, Burlington: Put together the perfect picnic with seasonal salads, cocktail kits, hearty appetizer boxes, sandwiches and other lunch packages, classic cheese platters, and more. Sugarsnap Catering is offering safe and delicious meals for all.
The Backyard at Joe’s Kitchen, Montpelier: Pre-order your picnic items from Joe’s extensive BBQ, soup, and seafood menu. He has you covered with coleslaw, chowder, BBQ pulled pork, gazpacho, and more. Available Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays for pick-up in downtown Montpelier.
The Inn at the Round Barn Farm, Waitsfield: Order from the takeout menu and reserve a picnic spot on their lawn! The fearless Captain brings his fresh catch to SaltyJimmz for the weekend. Items are available for pick-up or picnic on the beautiful grounds on Saturdays and Sundays.
The Mad River Taste Place, Waitsfield: The Taste Place is an all Vermont food and beverage store that is open for in person shopping or curbside pickup. They make a Tasting Board that includes 4 different cheeses, cured salami, 2 spreads and bread/crackers. This can be packed to-go to bring to your favorite swimming hole or waterfall! Grab a bottle of wine or 4 pack of beer from the cooler to complete your snack!
The Original General Store, Pittsfield: For your Saturday picnicking pleasure, they are offering rotating Saturday Night Supper specials. Each week, there will be a new menu of delicious and locally sourced food options to choose from. Place orders by Friday at 12pm for a Saturday pick up, between 2pm and 4pm. New menus will post on Mondays.
Wagyu Wagon, Westford: The food truck is open for takeout on the Westford Common in front of their soon-to-be Country Store every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from noon - 7:00pm. Their menu features Wagyu beef raised on their farm in Westford and a rotation of local items produced by Westford residents ranging from mushrooms, berries, and other produce items. There is plenty of parking across the street from where the truck is parked. The Westford Common offers plenty of real estate to have a nice picnic safely spaced from others.
Out of state? You can participate, too, with mail order! See some of our ideas.
A special thank you to media sponsors, Front Porch Forum and Seven Days Vermont.
