One of the most exciting parts of planning a picnic in Chicagoland is choosing from the plethora of fantastic picnic venues. Yes, the great outdoors can be considered a venue! You will naturally look for a location that features plenty of green space and room for picnic games and activities. But there are countless other considerations you don’t want to overlook, like shelter from the elements and venue capacity.
Fortunately, our team has decades of experience helping companies and individuals throughout the Chicago suburbs choose a picnic venue and transform it to match their picnic theme. When working with our friendly picnic planners, you are likely to fall in love with one of these popular Chicago picnic locations.
Discovery Day Camp
While primarily a day camp for little ones, Discovery Day Camp spans over 10 lush acres in Lincolnshire, providing the perfect backdrop for a picnic with more than adequate facilities and some extra recreation options. The facility is available for rent all summer long for groups of 75 to 300, which it can easily accommodate in its 4,000-square-foot pavilion housing over 35 picnic tables. No picnic blankets required!
Discovery Day Camp will have your guests moving all day long with add-ons including basketball and volleyball courts, 14,000 square feet of athletic fields, a climbing wall, heated swimming pool with locker rooms and more. If you have an active group that loves a little friendly competition, this spot is perfection.
Decoma Day Camp
The Decoma Day Camp is “much more than just a day camp” according to their slogan, and we couldn’t agree more. A beloved family-run venue that has been around since 1949, they have extensive experience hosting all sorts of large-scale group events, especially picnics!
The camp’s facilities are expansive and include highlights like a nine-hole mini golf course. Let’s be real—any picnic with mini golf included is sure to be a guest favorite! That’s not all. Decoma Day Camp also has a playground, fields and courts galore, as well as a gaga ball pit for the children.
Beyond that, Decoma Day Camp offers sprawling outdoor space with plenty of parking and indoor venue space that you can use in case the rain decides to come down on your picnic. Whether you’re looking to host an intimate family reunion or a corporate picnic for hundreds of employees and their families, the Decoma Day Camp can do it all.
Creek Bend
Half the fun of a picnic is enjoying the great outdoors, right? The Creek Bend Nature Center at LeRoy Oakes Forest Preserve is a nature lover’s paradise with sprawling green space perfect for hosting an unforgettable event. In addition to the nature center on-site, you may not know they have a spectacular 1930s home that can be rented out for intimate gatherings. It also has plenty of space to put up a tent for extra space for guests. It’s a perfect spot for a picnic bridal shower or special celebration.
Lincoln Farmstead
As one of the preferred caterers for Lincoln Farmstead, we can honestly say that the events at this rustic barn are dreamy beyond words. If you’re searching for a venue that is full of character, this is it. A family-owned gem, this 1920s barn has undergone renovations to create a chic yet casual vibe throughout their two indoor venues. The barn is surrounded by gorgeous patios with outdoor fire pits and courtyards with twinkling lighting that brightens up any evening.
When you choose Lincoln Farmstead, you choose family. The owners are set on providing an exclusive experience that makes you and your guests feel like you’re coming home. It’s a perfect spot to relax and enjoy the company of friends and family under the stars.
Serosun Farm
Set on sprawling acres of idyllic prairie and woodlands, the Serosun Farm is a one-of-a-kind venue that combines nature with the conveniences and amenities of your standard modern-day venues. The most unique thing about Serosun Farm? It’s part of a 400-acre sustainable community centered around an actual working farm! So, while it is only an hour west of Chicago, you feel eons away in such a peaceful environment. There is plenty of outdoor space, as well as an indoor venue in case you need to escape the elements.
Citizens Park
Because this is Barrington’s newest park, officially dedicated in 2007, you may not have heard of it yet. But that does not mean it lacks in history or venue features. This park lays claim to Illinois’ first universally accessible treehouse and was the site of the old Jewel Tea Company. Since then, it has garnered several awards as one of the premier event spaces in the Northwest suburbs.
In addition to majestic trees, lush grass grounds, trails and a waterfall, the 45-acre park features two picnic shelters, an outdoor amphitheater, a gazebo perfect for drinks or photo staging, a lodge for 30 with indoor/outdoor fireplaces and heating or A/C depending on the weather, tennis and basketball courts and restroom facilities.
The Shores of Turtle Creek
This stunning lodge rests among 32 acres of meticulously maintained natural grounds that can accommodate up to 5,000 picnic guests in the Chicago north suburbs. When guests visit this venue, the spacious porch draws them to the 10,000-square-foot, two-story lodge.
What really makes guests fall in love with the Shores of Turtle Creek are the lodge’s huge windows and skylights that bring the outdoors inside, creating a seamless picnic experience. From the double doors that welcome guests, to the French doors that invite them out to the portico overlooking a serene pond, the Shores of Turtle Creek bring modern comforts and a wonderful natural flow to any picnic.
UIC Picnic Grove
The University of Illinois at Chicago Picnic Grove is the perfect place for sports-themed picnics. In coordination with Picnics in Chicago, UIC Picnic Grove lets you invite up to 10,000 guests to play ball. While we craft a custom menu, Picnics in Chicago creates individualized programs to best suit your picnic themes, goals and guest list.
The two picnic spaces feature spectacular views of the Chicago skyline and can accommodate almost all sports games and picnic ideas within their softball and soccer fields, volleyball courts, grassy areas and bike path. There are also plenty of restroom facilities and free parking, both critical for a successful picnic!
Vasa Park
Get ready to have fun in the sun on the shores of the Fox River when you choose Vasa Park as your picnic venue. Twenty-five acres of open space and mature oak trees welcome creative picnic ideas and menus to utilize its full kitchen, outdoor grills and bar. With indoor restrooms and parking for up to 1,000 guests, you can focus more on the fun parts of planning a picnic. Vasa Park’s flexibility will let your imagination run wild, which is why some favorite picnic activity ideas are sports games, dunk tanks, bag tournaments and inflatables, just to name a few!
We encourage you to explore all your options for picnic venues and menus with our Chicago picnic catering team. When you contact us, you enlist the ideas of creative picnic experts with over 30 years of catering experience who are committed to high-quality and excellent service.
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