It's July, which means it's time to pick up the picnic pace. Indeed, July's widely recognized as National Picnic Month because it falls in the heart of summer, offering warm weather, long days and the perfect opportunity for outdoor leisure. Established as a national celebration in 1952 by the American Bakers Association, the month encourages people to enjoy nature and gather with friends and family.
Historians relay the modern concept of picnics evolved from 17th-century French nobility, who popularized the "pique-nique" (derived from "piquer," to peck, and "nique," a trifle) as an indoor, potluck-style meal where each guest contributed food or wine. It transitioned to an outdoor, popular dining experience among the Victorian-era (1837–1901), shifting from formal events to casual outdoor meals.
Similar, much earlier outdoor, aristocratic, large-scale parties reportedly were hosted by Japanese Lord Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1594. He is regarded as Japan's second "great unifier."
Kick off the Fourth of July and the entire month of outdoor adventures locally via picnics at Mallow Run Winery in Bargersville. In particular, guests can celebrate Independence Day on the lawn at Mallow Run with the annual release of their delightful Blueberry wine plus Blueberry Hard Cider. It's made by pressing sweet, ripe blueberries into juice before transforming it into a mouth-watering wine. Packed with sweet flavors of just-picked berries, many believe this wine pairs wonderfully with chocolate or soft cheeses.
Among the winery's other thematic choices are Picnic White, Picnic Blush and Picnic Red.
To make the Blueberry cider, they blend fresh blueberry juice into their Beasley’s Orchard cider to produce a refreshing, hard cider that’s "as American as apple (and blueberry) pie." Their handcrafted hard ciders are made using the same small-batch methods as their award-winning wines.
On Saturday, July 4, the winery staff will host the 2026 Red, White & Blueberry Festival from noon to 10 p.m. They'll have wine and music on the lawn. Food trucks also will be available outside the tasting room, offering a variety of mobile eats. The band performing at 7 p.m. will be The Bishops. Plus, enjoy a fireworks finale on the lawn when music concludes.
As experienced musicians, The Bishops are known for being interactive crowd pleasers who get listeners up on their feet. With vocal harmonies, infectious grooves and a stage presence that fills a space, they like to turn gatherings into unforgettable parties. With The Bishops having decades of experience making music and entertaining crowds, they state they have a massive repertoire that spans genres and generations.
With the festival continuing through Sunday, July 5, from noon to 6 p.m., the Park Avenue Band will be providing live music. With free admission, this day is family friendly with all ages welcome. The staff will have wine tasting available until 6 p.m., with wine available for purchase by the glass or bottle.
Park Avenue Band members combine drums, bass, guitar, keyboards, saxophone, trumpet and trombone with versatile vocalists and stage personalities to produce a nine-piece, powerhouse group.
Next for the month, the winery continues a picnic concert series on Saturday, July 11. From noon to 9 p.m., attendees can hear Bon Journeyed, a band that celebrates the timeless rock music of Journey and Bon Jovi. Gates open by 5:30 p.m. and music begins at 7 p.m. This concert will be held rain or shine; tickets are $15 each in advance or $20 the day of the show. Youths 12 and younger are free admission.
Furthering the picnic series are The Woomblies Rock Orchestra on Saturday, July 18, from noon to 9 p.m. This day, there'll be music on the winery's patio from 12-3 p.m., following with the band's rock concert under free admission on the lawn at 6 p.m. The Woomblies were founded in 2000 by Phil Pierle and Paul Holdman, and are known for high-energy covers of classic rock, Motown and soul. They evolved from a four-piece band into a 10–11 member orchestra featuring strings and horns, specializing in hits from the 60s through the 90s.
Then, on Saturday, July 25, guests can enjoy Jai Baker 3 at 6 p.m. The music of this trio has been described as taking modern country music and smashing it into a rock-n-roll edge. Jai plays music with his older brother, David Baker on lead guitar and Kevin Bonewitz on drums.
Greenwood City Lifestyle magazine is one of the picnic series' proud sponsors, along with Cardon & Associates, Duke Homes, Franciscan Health, Horizon Bank, JCFiber, Love of Labs Indiana, Hensley Legal Group and Sunbelt Rentals.
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MallowRun.com