Whether you toss a blanket on the grass at City Park or choose a sunny bench alongside a mountain creek, there’s no better way to enjoy the outdoors than a picnic. Colorado Proud’s new pop-up picnic series wants to make sure that the provisions in your (reusable) picnic basket are as local as the scenery.

Starting on May 16 and running through September 5, look for the Colorado Proud pop-ups at farmers’ markets, festivals, and events throughout the state (the itinerary includes everything from the Highland Square Farmers’ Market to a Dave Matthews Band concert at Fiddler’s Green). The Colorado Proud folks will be on hand with samples (think potato salad and coleslaw) made with locally grown produce. As the growing season gets into full swing, Wendy White, marketing specialist for the Colorado Department of Agriculture, predicts cameos from Palisade peaches and Rocky Ford melons as well. Colorado Proud devised the program as a way to showcase the freshest vegetables and juiciest fruits from farms such as Hirakata Farms, Talbott Farms, and a variety of potato growers in the San Luis Valley.

Along with the nibbles, Colorado Proud will also pass out promotional postcards, reusable grocery bags, and farm-fresh recipes that encourage people to use the state’s agricultural bounty in their own picnic spreads. Think of it as your educational primer for buying, eating, and most importantly, enjoying Colorado’s abundant summer harvest.

For the full schedule of pop-up picnics, click here.

Callie Sumlin
Callie Sumlin
Callie Sumlin is a writer living in Westminster, and has been covering food and sustainability in the Centennial State for more than five years.