Company Picnic Planning at Brookside Park in Pasadena for HNTB's Annual Employee and Family Picnic 2026

All-Inclusive Package with Catering, Entertainment, and Seating at Brookside Park

We were happily tasked with planning HNTB Corporation's annual company picnic for the second year in a row at Brookside Park in Pasadena, where 200 employees and their families spent the afternoon together. Smoked tri-tip and burgers off the grill, shaved ice kept everyone cool, and the field games got friendly and competitive fast once prizes were on the line. Between the sports activities and carnival games, we strategically planned something for every guest. We brought great food, real fun, comfortable seating, and an atmosphere that made employees feel connected and appreciated, sending everyone home with memories to last a lifetime.

Company Picnic Catering for 200 Guests at Brookside Park

Our food service area was clearly marked and staffed, with an A-frame menu posted in front so guests could see what was coming. Everything was set up for high throughput, and we served all 200 guests in under 30 minutes, so people could get their food, get back to their tables, and get into the games and entertainment without losing their afternoon to a line.

Main Menu:

• Low and slow smoked tri-tip
• 1/3 lb Angus beef hamburgers
• Vegan stuffed bell peppers with Impossible meat

The buffet was planned with every guest in mind, including vegan and vegetarian options like the stuffed bell peppers, so nobody had to sit out the main line.

Our tri-tip is smoked low and slow, and our chef treats every batch with the same care a competition pitmaster would, because every plate that goes out matters just as much as the last.
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1/3 lb Angus burgers, grilled to perfection, came with their own deluxe condiment bar just off to the side, stocked with fresh lettuce, tomato, pickles, and every sauce a guest could want, so the main line kept moving.

Sides:

• Fresh cut fruit salad
• Loaded homestyle potato salad
• Mixed green garden salad

​The mixed green salad had real chopped vegetables, the kind of chunky, fresh salad that holds up next to smoked tri-tip.

At the end of the day, nothing went to waste. Guests packed up leftovers in to-go boxes and took home every bit of what they paid for.

Cold Beverages:

​Sweet tea, lemonade, and filtered water gave guests a break from the July heat all afternoon.

Fun Foods:

​A shaved ice station kept the afternoon heat in check, with assorted syrup flavors for guests to choose from.

MEGA Field Games Brought Team Building and Prizes to the Field

The MEGA Field Games gave HNTB's team a reason to step out from behind their desks and actually compete with each other. Archery, Pickleball Dink, and dozens of other quick, rotating challenges kept the field moving through roughly 25 to 30 games over three hours, so guests could jump into a round or two without committing to a full afternoon of any single game.

A comedic host kept the energy up and the participation coming, pulling guests in game after game and making sure nobody just stood on the sidelines watching. Every game came with prizes on the line, giving people a real reason to step up and try.
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What looks like simple field games is really team building in disguise. The same coworkers who spend their days on separate projects were lining up together, cheering each other on, and building the kind of connections and morale boost that carries straight back into the office.

Soccer, Baseball, and Football Activities at Brookside Park for HNTB's Company Picnic

The Sports Trio gave HNTB's picnic a three-in-one setup: soccer, baseball, and football challenges side by side in a single unit, built to handle a group of 200. Its bright, colorful design added another point of energy to the field, giving sports fans a reason to line up no matter which game they came for.

Carnival Booth Games Bring Old-Fashioned Fun to Brookside Park

HNTB's picnic had a nostalgic wooden carnival booth with two games in one, Bottle Ringer and a ball toss, with prizes hanging overhead for guests to play for. Carnival games were a great way to round out this company picnic because it appealed to both adults and children, giving everyone a family-friendly activity full of color and old-fashioned charm.

Obstacle Courses Gave Guests Interactive Competitive Activities To Enjoy at Brookside Park

​The Rocky Island Mountain Climb gave guests two ways to play: climb straight up the center for the challenge of it, or race a friend up and down the slides on either side. Right next to it, the Safari Challenge gave guests a full obstacle course to crawl through, with columns to bob and weave around and two lanes set up so coworkers could race each other start to finish.

Central Seating Put Guests Close to Food and Fun at Brookside Park

The outdoor seating at HNTB's picnic was placed close to the field games and catering, so guests could eat, chat, and still see everything happening around them no matter where they sat. Each table sat eight guests around a 60-inch round, facing each other for easy conversation, with a 9-foot market umbrella overhead to keep the July sun off. Every table came with a vinyl cover, easy to wipe down between guests and sturdy enough to stay put even on a windy day.

The Company Picnic Planner Who Knows Brookside Park in Pasadena The Best!

We know Brookside Park in Pasadena the way most people know their own backyard, because we've planned hundreds of company picnics on this exact layout. That kind of experience means we already know which spots work best for entertainment, where food service flows smoothly, and how to lay out a picnic so every guest, whether they're eating, playing, or just sitting, feels like part of the day.

Owning our entire inventory across 40+ years in business means we can bring a full range of catering, entertainment, and event equipment to a picnic like this one, at a real value companies can count on. Being employee-owned means every person on our team has a real stake in how the event turns out.

Companies that hire us for employee appreciation picnics like this aren't paying for equipment on a field. They're paying for the experience, the atmosphere, and the memories their employees walk away with, a real way to show appreciation for the people who make their company work.

If you're planning a company picnic at Brookside Park in Pasadena, we're the team that knows this park best.  Contact our team, get a quote today!