Tanglewood Picnic Food: What to Pack and Where to Shop

A Tanglewood picnic is a summer ritual in Lenox, the Boston Symphony Orchestra's summer home: many concert-goers arrive hours early with chairs, blankets and a feast. Cold dishes travel best, such as sandwiches, pasta salad, cheese, fruit and cookies. Check Tanglewood's own pages for what is allowed. See also the US guides.

A well-planned picnic can be as memorable as the music. Here is what to pack, how to carry it, where to shop in Lenox for provisions and what to ask the grounds before you go. Tanglewood's own pages set the rules on what is allowed, so read them first.

What is a Tanglewood picnic?

A Tanglewood picnic is a meal eaten on the lawn before or during a concert. Regular visitors bring folding chairs, blankets, a cooler, cloth napkins and sometimes a small table. Travel writers describe lawns that fill early, and picnickers arriving several hours before a performance to claim a good spot.

The town of Lenox lists the grounds among its attractions, and local and Boston papers have published guides for first-timers. Read them, then adapt.

What should you eat at Tanglewood?

What to eat at Tanglewood depends on how you carry it. Cold food travels best: a roast chicken, a pasta salad, sandwiches on good bread, cheese, olives, cured meats, fruit and a dessert that does not melt. Add something crunchy, such as raw vegetables, and something sweet, such as cookies.

One travel guide calls bringing your own picnic the best, and probably the least expensive, way to eat there. The grounds also have food for sale, but lines can be long, so check Tanglewood's own pages for what is offered and what is permitted.

Where can you buy Lenox picnic provisions?

Lenox picnic provisions come from the village's bakeries, delis, markets and cafes, as well as from farm stands on the roads in. Order sandwiches the day before if a shop takes orders, and pick them up on the way to the concert. A bakery loaf, a wedge of local cheese and a jar of pickles make a quick meal.

Shop early. On concert days, the best items go by noon. The Lenox bakery guide explains what to look for.

How do you make a gourmet picnic Berkshires style?

A gourmet picnic Berkshires style uses the best of the region: farm cheese, cured meat, bread from a local bakery, just-picked tomatoes, a jar of honey, apples or berries in season. Add a bottle of something cold and a thermos of coffee for the evening.

Pack it nicely. A cloth, real glasses and a small vase of flowers turn a meal into an occasion. But keep the logistics simple: nothing that must be heated, nothing that spills.

What do you need for the lawn?

Chairs with low backs are usually best, because tall ones can block views behind you. A blanket for the ground, a light jacket for the evening, bug spray, sunscreen and a flashlight for the walk back to the car. A small bag for trash. Bring a cooler on wheels if you are carrying a lot, as the walk from the car park can be long.

Check Tanglewood's rules about tables, candles, umbrellas and alcohol before you load the car. They exist for the sake of everyone's view.

Concerts often go ahead in rain, with people under umbrellas or in the covered shed. A poncho is easier than an umbrella on the lawn. If the forecast is poor, pack a picnic that is easy to eat in a car or under a shelter.

If you can't picnic, arrange dinner after the concert. The concert dinner guide covers the evening.

How do you pack a picnic that survives the walk?

Pack in layers: heavy items at the bottom, fragile at the top, ice packs against the food that needs to stay cold. Use wide, shallow containers that open easily and don't leak. Wrap glasses in napkins. Put the dessert in its own box, and put the cheese knife where you can find it.

Keep a separate small bag for the things you need first: a blanket, a bottle opener, wet wipes and a light for the walk back. Label your cooler if you are in a group, since many look alike on a crowded lawn.

Children and a long concert are a test of patience. Bring finger food they like, a quiet game, a small blanket of their own and something to draw with. Let them eat early, so hunger does not take over during a quiet movement.

Pick a spot near the edge of the lawn, where a restless child can wander without bothering others. Teach them to pack up their trash, and make that part of the game.

What should you check before you go?

Check Tanglewood's own pages for the gate times, the rules about food and drink, bags, chairs, tables, candles and alcohol, and the policies on children and pets. Rules differ for the shed and the lawn and can change from season to season. Check the weather forecast, the concert time and the parking arrangements. Arrive earlier than you think you need to.

How do you split a Tanglewood picnic with the people on the blanket?

Make a shared list called the lawn, and give each friend a course: bread, cheese, fruit, something sweet. Add a note per place saying what to buy and when the shop opens. Only you and the friends you invite can see it and add to it, so nobody needs to rely on a group text. After the concert, tag the people you were with when you rate the provisions shop, and each can add a rating of the same picnic. Candles, chairs and alcohol follow Tanglewood's own rules, so check them first.

How do you keep your picnic ideas?

This is one of many Massachusetts guides, and the Food in Massachusetts page lists them all by town.

Rate each shop where you bought provisions, and tag it as it deserves: Deli, Bakery or Gourmet Shop all have badges, so a summer of picnics adds up. When you reach Sampler for a kind of place, the app shows a New badge screen with a card you can share. Save the best shops to a list for next season, with a note on what traveled well. Download the Mosey app, rate your first provisions stop and invite a friend to add theirs.