We held a community picnic at Foreshore Park, near the river on July 7. It was a beautiful day, and there were about 30 attendees who came and brought along lots of enthusiasm. I received attendees via Eventbrite and posted to a few Burnaby groups. Some attendees stayed until the very end. We held it from noon to about 4 pm and served a variety of picnic foods, such as sandwiches, veggie plates and hot chicken.
Attendees were very engaged, and a few even mentioned that they worked for an environmental group. Many asked if I would be organizing other upcoming events. To make this interesting, I invited a musician who played a few instrumental songs. Some people also spoke about being more environmentally aware and I also highlighted the importance of recycling and ecology. I brought along reusable plates for attendees.
The main challenge was the heat! Also, we brought along many ice packs and that kept the drinks cold. To ensure the foods were not spoiled, I invited attendees to get their lunchboxes as soon as they checked in at noon. To keep them engaged, I mentioned there would be draws throughout the afternoon, as well as a musician playing some music.
One obstacle was the size of the park, and I didn’t want attendees to get lost, so I wrote down some email instructions to help them find the location, which was near the playground area. I also texted people and gave them the best way to get to the event by following Byrne road.
By the end of the picnic, there was quite a bit of cleanup that we had to do. In the future, I will advise attendees to carry their own garbage and use the bins close by, if possible.
Having a picnic in the park takes lots of organization and planning. I spend a few weeks gathering items at stores, such as containers and drinks. It’s important not to do everything last minute. I found that getting attendees via Eventbrite is good because I discovered that people want to be there. I also advised them to self-manage and release the tickets if they couldn’t attend. Some attendees wanted to invite more friends.
Having a community picnic was a great way to meet people in Burnaby and share good times! Thanks for the funding!
