As COVID-19 restrictions on crowd size start to loosen, the Mercer County Park Commission will begin accepting reservations for the five county-owned picnic areas on Monday, April 5 at noon for the 2021 season, announced Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes. The West and East Picnic Areas in Mercer County Park, Rosedale Picnic Area in Mercer Meadows, Princeton Country Club Picnic Area in West Windsor and Valley Road Picnic Area in Hopewell Township are open to in-county and out-of-county residents.
“After more than a year of missed milestones, we are excited to begin a methodical return to normalcy by opening our facilities to the public, under the pandemic guidelines established by Gov. Murphy’s most recent Executive Order,” Hughes said, adding, “Welcome back.”
Mercer County’s picnic areas and pavilions are perfect settings for outdoor family gatherings, complete with plenty of amenities.
Users will only be able to make their reservations online, the Park Commission will not permit walk-ups or any in person reservations.
Available dates for the picnic season will begin Saturday, April 17 and run through Sunday, October 31. Due to the popularity of the picnic grounds, the Park Commission highly recommends creating a Community Pass account before the opening date if a user does not have one already. For returning users, the Park Commission suggests revisiting your account and ensuring credentials are accurate. Reservations will be made automatically on a first-come, first-served basis. Weekend dates are among the most popular; no date is guaranteed.
For a link to the online Community Pass reservation system, visit the Park Commission website at http://mercercountyparks.org/#!/facilities/picnic-areas/. Interested parties should have either a MasterCard or Visa card ready to make a reservation.
For more information, call the Recreation and Events Center at (609) 443-8560 or visit www.mercercountyparks.org.
Submitted by Mercer County.
