Planning the perfect Christmas Picnic takes creativity and precision. The warm nights, long days and starry skies invite us to spend time enjoying the great outdoors during the festive season.
Gold Coast picnic season is upon us so we’ve put together a step-by-step guide to help you plan a Christmas picnic that will wow your friends, extended family or romantic first date.
- Find the perfect picnic location
When planning your Christmas picnic, it’s all about location, location, location. Here on the Gold Coast, we’re lucky to have plenty of stunning parks and beaches with spectacular views. IF you’re a visitor or a Gold Coast local looking for new places to explore, it can be overwhelming with so much choice. Beachside picnics are a staple of the Gold Coast lifestyle and we highly recommend Burleigh Headland, (not far from our Earth Markets store at Burleigh Stocklands), Tallebudgera Creek is always a favourite with those who like to spend time in the water. Macintosh Island Park or Coomera Lake are great picnic spots for our northern Gold Coast friends.
If baking on the beach is not your scene, for a little shade and spectacular rainforest, you can’t go past the popular Robert Sowter Park, Mount Coot-Tha or the beautiful Cedar Creek Falls. Work off those picnic calories with an afternoon walk or find a grassy area, lie back and watch the endless blue skies stretch out with a glass of your favourite bubbly.
- Gather The Picnic Items
Once you have your picnic spot, let’s start packing the car. Of course, taking a picnic blanket, food and some sort of refreshment goes without saying, but if you want to become a renowned picnic superstar, there are a few extra supplies.
Firstly, make sure you’ve got plenty of comfort items. We’re talking camp chairs and throw pillows to sit on, a large picnic blanket and a throw rug or two in case day lingers into lingers through until sunset and it cools off. To keep everyone entertained, throw in some card games and a bluetooth speaker along with Spotify on the go. If you’re headed to the beach with the kids, you’ll need boogie boards, buckets and spades and plenty of sunscreen.
Finish your picnic kit off with some cutlery, utensils and glassware to keep the whole event classy.
- Perfect The Menu!
Always leave the best things until last and in this case, it’s the menu!
One of the most important aspects of any good Christmas picnic is the food. When it comes to picnic menus a visit to your local Earth Markets will see you be able to plan a gourmet feast.
Chips, dips and deli meats and cheeses are a nice easy option and a hit with the whole family, or if you can find a gas barbecue, you can marinate skewers, grill pineapple and premake a few hearty salads.
Picnic platters are easy and always a good option for those who like to sit around and graze. MIx and match stone fruits like cherries, nectarines and peaches with nuts, chocolates and marshmallows.
Our top pick of favourite picnic foods are:
- Chocolate-dipped strawberries
- Fresh salad sandwiches with turkey and cranberry sauce
- Corn chips, salsa and guacamole
- Homemade sausage rolls
- Chicken or Veggie Skewers
- Garden salads, pasta salads and rice salads
Picking the freshest and most seasonal produce for Christmas picnic will always ensure your fruit and vegetables are at their best! December 25 is just around the corner and what better way to enjoy the best of the Queensland produce and Gold Coast locations than planning a family picnic.