When these long summer days roll around, there is just one thing that we are always craving to do: have a picnic! And with the expansiveness of Caramoor's grounds, there's plenty of room to have a picnic, either before the show or just on a whim in the middle of the week during the day. So, we decided to ask the Caramoor staff a simple question: What's an essential item in your picnic basket?
Read on for some tips from the Caramoor staff, and learn a little more about us along the way! (Spoiler Alert: we are mainly wine and cheese people.)
Bottle Opener - for both corks and caps. And samples of wine bottles and beer bottles to demonstrate how to use the opener. - Gabe Palacio, Staff Photographer
Good cheese! Always have a firm (sharp cheddar, swiss, parmigiana), a soft (goat or brie), and then a wild card (I've really been into Cambozola lately, which is halfway between Camembert and Gorgonzola), but just grab whatever looks fun! - Alex Cutrone, Director of Ticketing & Guest Relations
We attend a picnic of very long-standing picnic, (it's been going on for 30+ years, with the only rare interruptions, like the pandemic) following a day of treasure-hunting at the Madison-Bouckville Antique Market in August. Our contribution to the potluck meal is our favorite homemade biscotti (a chocolate-hazelnut recipe!) because it travels well on our road trip/antiques hunt and fits the international flair of this particular gathering! P.S. Personally I want one of those picnic tables with the short legs, so that my glass and dish stay upright and stable! On my wishlist! - Jessa Krick, Director of Interpretation, Collections and Archives, the Rosen House
A battery-powered lantern. - Adina Williams, Director, School Programs & Community Engagement
Cheese! My latest favorite that I found at my local cheese shop, Blue On Bank, is Brebirousse or "Red Sheep" in English. This creamy brie from sheep's milk is so good. Pinot Noir is a recommended pairing and I'd recommend something from King Estate or Sweet Cheek's Winery from the Willamette Valley in Oregon. For a vegan picnic, I can't stay away from Violife's Just Like Feta and the fig "salami" with almonds and black pepper from Hellenic Farms. The feta is creamy rather than crumbly, but super tasty, and the fig salami is perfect for all cheese boards. - Karla Stewart, HR Coordinator
Definitely a corkscrew. (It's also a good way to make friends with other people who forgot theirs!) - Kathy Schuman, Artistic Director
Cold Diet Coke. More Diet Coke. Pesto Tortellini Salad. Fork. Napkins. Plates. Curried chicken salad on mini croissants. Chocolate Chip cookies. Hand sanitizer. More Diet Coke. Garbage bag. Breath mints. Oh -- and Diet Coke. (P.s. send Diet Coke.) - xo A Diet Coke addict
A sun hat! - Brittany Frieder, Membership Assistant and Donor Concierge
You have to pack your sunscreen and bug spray! I know these are boring, but I actually find a lot of joy in these two things because of their smell. Yes, you read that right. There is nothing like the smell of bug spray and sunscreen that just screams: SUMMER IS HERE. They say your strongest memories are linked with smells, well, these two items are just filled with memories. (Oh also, it's good for your skin to be protected too.) - Roslyn Wertheimer, Marketing Manager
A nice weather-proof blanket always does the trick! It's nice to have the weather-proof fabric on one side, and the soft (non-itchy!) fabric on the other side. Plus, it has to be easily portable, where it can roll up and have that handy-dandy velcro tag to seal it up. (If you head on over to the Caramoor merch shop, you can find one of these for sale!) - Brittany Laughlin, Director of Marketing & Communications
