Montgomery County Parks and the tourism marketing agency Visit Montgomery have partnered to create the new “Picnic in the Park” initiative, in which parkgoers can find nearby restaurants by scanning a QR code with their mobile device.
The parks department announced on its website Aug. 20 that at nine parks, visitors can scan the code on “Picnic in the Park” signs, and nearby restaurants will appear on their devices. The participating parks are:
- Jesup Blair Local Park
- Acorn Urban Park
- Germantown Town Center Urban Park
- Norwood Local Park
- Olney Manor Recreational Park
- Takoma Urban Park
- Wall Local Park
- Wheaton Local Park
- Wheaton Regional Park
The parks all have a high concentration of restaurants within five to 10 miles, according to the county’s website.
The goal of the program is to support local establishments during the COVID-19 pandemic, Director of Parks Mike Riley wrote.
The county’s announcement states that there are “designated delivery zones” where visitors can meet restaurant drivers after ordering their food. There are “picnic circles” that are physically distanced where picnickers may eat their meals.
Dan Schere can be reached at daniel.schere@bethesdamagazine.com