The Picnic People

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FAQ'S

Sales Kit

Picnic Matrix

Is catering required? Catering is required at Little Hills in San Ramon. You may bring in your own food at Ardenwood in Fremont but purchase of our beverage package is required. Please note no outside catering is allowed at any of our facilities.

What are the fees involved? First you pay a facility use based on group size, which is due within two weeks of making a reservation. The catering prices are based on which entrée you choose and include sales tax. For midweek and evening events, there is one package price inclusive of food, facility and sales tax.

What does my facility use fee include? The fee is based on group size, and includes a private picnic site, free parking for your guests and access to all of the activities listed under each park. Please visit the "Our Parks" portion of our website for a list of activities specific to each park

What do the catering prices include? The prices that you see listed under the entrées, include an all you can eat buffet for 1 ½ hours, a variety of side dishes; potato salad, garden salad, salad of the month and fruit. Unlimited soft drinks are available all day, including beer and wine for the adults (beer and wine service ends one hour before the end of your event).

Our event will be during the week, is that different from a weekend? Yes, midweek events are set up differently than weekend events. Midweek events are set up as packages including food, facility and activities. There are four different packages to choose from. Midweek events typically include more adults than kids and the packages reflect this difference. If your group would like to do a family oriented midweek with a variety of age appropriate activities we would be happy to design a package to suit your needs. Food service is one hour in length for mid-week groups.

What are the weekend hours of the park? Little Hills Ranch is open from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM and Ardenwood Historic Farm is open 10:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Midweek events are for a specified number of hours and you may choose the start time.

Can we have the whole park to ourselves? That depends on how big your group is. To have Little Hills exclusively, you will need to guarantee a minimum of 700 people for food and beverages. Ardenwood’s minimum is 550. Please note that these minimums can be lowered by up to 40% if your group chooses an early season date and/or a Sunday.

If I'm sharing the park, how will you know which group I'm with? Each group receives wristbands a few weeks prior to the event date that you will need to distribute to your employees. The wristbands are all different colors to let staff know which group you are with, your entrée choices, and what your activities are.

My company always has a softball game, is this possible? Yes, each group that books in will get a softball time exclusively for their group.

What if I don't want the activities, is the price reduced?Weekend picnics include a variety of activities for all ages, which are included in the facility use fee. Because these activities are open to all groups in the park, there is no way to "reduce" the activities (and therefore the price) for your group. If you are looking for a more streamlined picnic with reduced activities (and price) ask us about our Quick Pick Picnics offered on select dates.

Can I tour the park? Yes, you may set up an appointment with the park manager to view each location. Please contact our reservations office at 925-462-1400 and our sales staff will put you in contact with the on-site park manager.

How do I figure out what size group we are? First, past picnic files are a great indicator, however if you do not have that information or this is your first event the following formula may be helpful: We find that groups have about a 60% turn out of employees for the company picnic (FYI-80% usually turn out for the holiday party). Example: If you have 75 employees, 60% would be 45 employees and you can multiply that number by a spouse and/or a child, including themselves (2.5), and get approximately 112.5 people for the company picnic. Please note this estimate varies depending on your company culture, number of families, etc.

Is there a minimum number we have to pay for? Yes, weekend groups are required to purchase 80% of the site's capacity for food and/or beverages. The minimum for midweek groups is 50 people.

What if I can't meet the minimum? Do we have to cancel? No, you don't have to cancel, you just pay to meet the minimum. The charge is $17.40 per person at Ardenwood to meet the minimum; $17.35 per person at Little Hills Ranch to meet the minimum.

How much time is needed to plan an event? Planning for an event can be done as quickly as a few weeks, however we prefer to get started a few months ahead of your date. We will send you a detailed planning packet (usually by email) for your review. Your picnic planner will then contact you approximately 6 weeks prior to your event to go over the details. Your final food count is due two weeks prior to your event.

Ardenwood Historic Farm and Little Hills Ranch are public facilities operated for the East Bay Regional Park District.