A white disposable plate with grilled chicken skewers, a green leafy salad, and colorful pasta salad, held outdoors on grass with a 'Pop Up Picnic' graphic overlay.

POP UP PICNICS

Each summer, Wayside partners with Cultivating Community, The Book Fairy, Locker Project, Garbage to Garden, The City of Portland, the Children's Museum, various locally owned businesses, and musicians to host four Pop up Picnics at community gardens. In 2024 we expanded our picnic offerings by partnering with Portland Trails to develop their efforts with new Mainers to use the trails throughout the city and answer questions or concerns to raise comfort with using the trails. 

2026 SCHEDULE:

July 6th - Payson Park Community Garden

@ 5:30PM - rain date 7/13

Musical Guest: Fiona Schubeck

July 20th - Casco Bay Community Garden

@ 5:30PM - rain date 7/27

Musical Guest: Ideal Maine Band

August 3rd - Brentwood Community Garden

@ 5:30PM - rain date 8/10

Musical Guest: Desert Blues

August 17th - Boyd St. Urban Farm

@ 5:30PM - rain date 8/24

Musical Guest: The Flukes

Pop Up Picnic 2026 Sponsors & Partners

Green sign with black text reading 'Cultivating Community,' featuring a hand holding a small plant.
Logo of Portland Housing Authority with colorful buildings and water waves
Portland city name with a parking sign protruding from right side
Garbage to Garden logo
Book Fairy Pantry Project logo
Portland Trails logo
The Locker Project logo
People sitting on the grass at an outdoor event, with a man and woman with a black dog in the foreground, and a food truck and more people in the background.
Young woman with glasses and long dark hair smiling, wearing a blue shirt and a brown apron, holding a plate of salad, at a food event or gathering.
A man singing into a microphone while playing an acoustic guitar, wearing traditional attire and a large straw hat.
A woman with short red hair, sunglasses on her head, and a black tank top, smiling and talking to a young girl with curly brown hair, wearing a navy and orange shirt and pink shorts, in an outdoor setting with trees and tents.
A young man in an orange apron and glasses giving cupcakes to a woman at an outdoor gathering.
Person sitting on a wooden structure outdoors, wearing a colorful tie-dye shirt with a heart design, patterned leggings, and a dark cap, looking at a cloudy sky.
A painted illustration featuring bees near the word 'COMMUNITY' on a banner, surrounded by colorful abstract shapes and patterns.
Children and an adult in a garden, the child in the center dressed as a wolf with a mask and tail, the children on the left and right observing plants.
Woman wearing a sun hat and purple sleeveless top receives food trays from man in a white apron and blue gloves at an outdoor food stand in a grassy area.
Four people sitting and talking in a garden, with two women on the right holding plates of food and a woman and man on the left engaged in conversation amid green plants.
Two people serving food at a community event, wearing aprons with the "Wayside Food Programs" logo, outdoors with a white van in the background.
Group of older adults playing ukuleles outdoors in front of a small yellow building with a sign that reads 'GROWNUP URBAN FARMING.' They are standing on grass, wearing casual and colorful clothing, with music stands in front of them.
People serving and receiving food at a buffet table during an outdoor event, with some wearing aprons and gloves.