{"id":1301,"date":"2014-07-28T01:50:49","date_gmt":"2014-07-28T01:50:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.barbaraseleganttouchstaffing.com\/blog\/?p=1301"},"modified":"2014-07-28T01:50:49","modified_gmt":"2014-07-28T01:50:49","slug":"5-tips-from-on-how-to-pack-for-a-picnic-for-chicago-summer-concerts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.barbaraseleganttouchstaffing.com\/blog\/5-tips-from-on-how-to-pack-for-a-picnic-for-chicago-summer-concerts\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Tips From On How To Pack For A Picnic For Chicago Summer Concerts"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Ashad\"<\/a>
\nChicago\u2019s outdoor summer concert season is in full swing. <\/p>\n

Date Published: Jul 23 2014
\nby Steven Jack
\n.
\nChicago\u2019s outdoor summer concert season is in full swing. <\/p>\n

Venues like Ravinia in Highland Park, the Morton Arboretum in Lisle and Arranmore Farms in Oswego, Illinois, offer some of the best musical selections of the summer. <\/p>\n

But what evening under the stars is complete without a picnic? Even though most Chicago-area music venues now offer in-house or local catering options, packing your own picnic dinner is sure to impress your friends.<\/p>\n

Whether you want an elegant affair or something simple, there’s definitely a right way to plan your perfect picnic. Caterer Barbara Gilleece, owner of highly rated Barbara\u2019s Elegant Touch Staffing in Downers Grove, Illinois, offers five pro tips:<\/p>\n

1. Keep it simple<\/p>\n

Packing too much for any picnic can only lead to trouble. Heavy coolers and picnic baskets that must be carried long distances from the parking lot are no way to start your night.<\/p>\n

\u201cConsider a menu that doesn’t require a lot of silverware and plates,\u201d Gilleece says. \u201cI\u2019d really just stick with cold cuts, cheeses, a fresh baguette and a few condiments. You might also toss in some veggies and dips and other finger foods and a couple nice bottles of light wine.”<\/p>\n

2. Class it up<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re the kind of person who just can\u2019t resist the urge to get fancy, Gilleece suggests carting along a small fold-up table complete with a table cloth and a bucket for your wine and other chilled beverages. A small vase with fresh-cut flowers is another option to beautify your outdoor tablescape.<\/p>\n

3. Bug off<\/p>\n

Most outdoor concert venues around Chicago do a good job of keeping the bugs at bay by spraying all summer. However, be sure to pack a few citronella candles and a can of bug spray just in case, Gilleece says. Just make sure to step away from open food containers when applying. No one likes DEET-flavored dip.<\/p>\n

4. What about dessert?<\/p>\n

Bringing along the right dessert can be tricky, Gilleece says. Most sweets require a consistent source of refrigeration to keep their consistency, and Chicago’s summer heat makes this difficult. <\/p>\n

\u201cA nice fruit salad with watermelon and other summer melons is perfect,” she says. “I\u2019d probably stay away from anything with frosting or cream unless you\u2019ve got a really good way of keeping it cool.\u201d<\/p>\n

5. Quick cleanup<\/p>\n

For easy cleanup, Gilleece suggests packing wet wipes and a full roll of paper towel for any major spills. Bring along a couple of plastic garbage bags, as well. You never know how far you will be from the nearest trash can at the end of a long night.
\n.<\/p>\n

Wait! You\u2019re not going to hire a service provider without checking Angie\u2019s List first are you? <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Chicago\u2019s outdoor summer concert season is in full swing. Date Published: Jul 23 2014 by Steven Jack . Chicago\u2019s outdoor summer concert season is in full swing. Venues like Ravinia in Highland Park, the Morton Arboretum in Lisle and Arranmore Farms in Oswego, Illinois, offer some of the best musical selections of the summer. But […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1301","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general"],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.barbaraseleganttouchstaffing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1301","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.barbaraseleganttouchstaffing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.barbaraseleganttouchstaffing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.barbaraseleganttouchstaffing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.barbaraseleganttouchstaffing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1301"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.barbaraseleganttouchstaffing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1301\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1303,"href":"https:\/\/www.barbaraseleganttouchstaffing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1301\/revisions\/1303"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.barbaraseleganttouchstaffing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1301"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.barbaraseleganttouchstaffing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1301"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.barbaraseleganttouchstaffing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1301"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}