in Your Hey — What’s Basket? Text by Jo Clark Photos courtesy of New River Picnic Company
She launched New River Picnic Company last October and plans and provides luxury experiences for picnic adventures. Lizzie pulls together everything from silverware and gourmet food to rugs, linens and pillows. When you arrive at the designated picnic site, everything will be ready to enjoy, with beautiful china, stemware, blankets and comfy pillows for lounging. Afterward, she returns to pack everything up and take it away. Most of her finely-orchestrated picnics are cozy events for two, but Lizzie can handle up to 12 people. Local companies provide fresh food basket components like charcuterie boards from Just Graze & Company and baked goods from Halwa Bakery & Café, both in Blacksburg. Reasons to Celebrate
Lizzie Smyth loves picnics, and picnic planning was just a hobby until her 6-month dating anniversary picnic on the Blue Ridge Parkway. She pulled together a beautiful presentation, and a light bulb clicked in her head. “I was burned out on my day job at the time, and realized I could craft beautiful picnics for others as well as myself,” she recalls. It must have impressed the boyfriend because about six months after the six-month dating date and picnic, he married her. 44
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New River Picnic Company has created memories for proposals, elopements, date nights, gender reveals, anniversaries, graduations and bachelorette parties. In addition, photographers are on call for special events. And remember, like a good champagne, you don’t need a special event for a picnic. Engaging New River Picnic [or enjoying good champagne] makes any event special. Lizzie confides that two of her favorite places to set up luxury picnics are Bisset Park in Radford and the duck ponds at Virginia Tech. Picnics can be set up anywhere in out-of-the-way places, parks, backyards, churches, small farms or even inside your own house. Set-ups within 30 miles of Blacksburg are standard, and Lizzie will travel further for an additional fee. She notes that some parks have shelter rental fees. If you want wine or liquor, you have to provide your own, if it is permitted where your picnic takes place. A typical picnic includes food, packaged in a box and/or displayed on a tray, and every picnic is unique. Lizzie adds personal touches for each client. For instance, her preparation for a proposal incorporates special memories of places the couple has been. If something you especially want isn’t on
2022
