Yes — Crane Park has picnic areas open to the public. No reservation is needed for the picnic area. Fee: Free. Wine and other alcohol are allowed (see the rules below).
Checked September 2026 from cityofsthelena.govStated on the venue's own website
Picnic rules at a glance
Picnicking
Picnics welcome
Bring your own food
Allowed
Alcohol
Allowed
Purchase required
No
Reservation
Not required
Fee
Free; reserved picnic areas $50 (Areas 1-3) or $80 (covered Area 4) at resident rates, plus a refundable deposit; bocce courts $20/day each.
Food on site
St. Helena Farmers Market on Fridays 7:30 a.m.-noon, May-October
Groups
Four reservable picnic areas (Areas 1-3 and covered Area 4) plus 8 bocce courts, booked online through the city's Rec1 catalog or at (707) 968-9222. A reservation covers only the assigned area, not the whole park. Individual tables are first-come.
Dogs
Dogs must be leashed (SHMC § 12.32.030(W); Crane Park rental rules).
Kids
Children's playgrounds; the Head Start building hosts summer day camps.
Hours
Park open 6 a.m.-10 p.m. (rental rules say 7 a.m.-10 p.m.)
Season
Open year-round; Friday farmers market May-October.
House rules
Alcohol: Beer and wine allowed. St. Helena Municipal Code § 12.32.040(A) bans any alcoholic beverage 'other than beer or wine' in public parks, so spirits are out. Opened containers are illegal on streets, sidewalks and parking lots (SHMC § 9.04.010), so don't carry an open bottle to or from the car. Other code rules (SHMC § 12.32.030): dogs must be leashed; fires only where the city designates; picnic only in designated areas; no sound audible beyond 60 feet; no camping. Rental rules: 7 a.m.-10 p.m.; no amplified music; no gas generators; fires only in designated barbecue pits and fully out before leaving; no jump houses or water slides; no piñatas, confetti or balloon pieces.
What the picnic area is like
St. Helena's 12-acre community sports park south of downtown, with individual and group picnic areas (one on a covered pad) set among lawns, playgrounds, Little League fields and eight lighted bocce courts. Two restrooms and a parking lot make it the up-valley's most practical spot for a big group picnic.
Picnic tables
Lawn
Covered pavilion
BBQ grills
Bocce
Restrooms
Parking
Playground
Good for: Groups · Large parties · Families · Budget-friendly
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About Crane Park
Crane Park is where St. Helena locals hold birthday picnics and bocce afternoons, and city code allows beer and wine. Reserve a picnic area and a couple of lighted bocce courts for a group. On summer Fridays the farmers market sets up here.
Beer and wine allowed (SHMC § 12.32.040)
Eight lighted bocce courts, reservable for $20/day
The Clif Bar founders' winery runs its tasting room on St. Helena's Main Street with a well-loved food truck out back. Order lunch from the Bruschetteria, grab a glass or bottle of organically farmed wine, and eat on the patio. It's the easiest picnic-style lunch in downtown St. Helena.
Merryvale's winery and tasting room sit in downtown St. Helena, but its picnic offering is a splurge: a vertical tasting of its flagship Profile wine with a seasonal picnic lunch on a hillside vineyard deck high above the valley. It's a private, catered experience rather than a place to bring your own food.
Sutter Home Winery offers a bookable picnic experience, "Music in the Garden": Live music in the garden with food and wine for sale; guests are encouraged to bring chairs and picnic blankets.
Bring your own foodNo reservationWine allowedDogs OK
Lyman Park is St. Helena's Main Street green: pick up picnic supplies downtown and eat at a table by the gazebo. City code allows beer and wine until 8 p.m. It's the most convenient legal spot for a picnic with a bottle in the up-valley's walkable downtown.
Yes — Crane Park has picnic areas open to the public. No reservation is needed for the picnic area. Fee: Free. Wine and other alcohol are allowed (see the rules below).
Can you bring your own food to Crane Park?▾
Yes. Outside food is allowed at Crane Park.
Can you drink wine at Crane Park?▾
Yes, alcohol is allowed at Crane Park. Alcohol: Beer and wine allowed. St. Helena Municipal Code § 12.32.040(A) bans any alcoholic beverage 'other than beer or wine' in public parks, so spirits are out. Opened containers are illegal on streets, sidewalks and parking lots (SHMC § 9.04.010), so don't carry an open bottle to or from the car. Other code rules (SHMC § 12.32.030): dogs must be leashed; fires only where the city designates; picnic only in designated areas; no sound audible beyond 60 feet; no camping. Rental rules: 7 a.m.-10 p.m.; no amplified music; no gas generators; fires only in designated barbecue pits and fully out before leaving; no jump houses or water slides; no piñatas, confetti or balloon pieces.
Do you need a reservation to picnic at Crane Park?▾
No reservation is needed to use the picnic area. Four reservable picnic areas (Areas 1-3 and covered Area 4) plus 8 bocce courts, booked online through the city's Rec1 catalog or at (707) 968-9222. A reservation covers only the assigned area, not the whole park. Individual tables are first-come.
Is there a fee to picnic at Crane Park?▾
Free; reserved picnic areas $50 (Areas 1-3) or $80 (covered Area 4) at resident rates, plus a refundable deposit; bocce courts $20/day each.
Are dogs allowed at Crane Park?▾
Dogs must be leashed (SHMC § 12.32.030(W); Crane Park rental rules).
Is Crane Park good for kids?▾
Children's playgrounds; the Head Start building hosts summer day camps.
Sources & accuracy
We last checked this listing in September 2026 (freshest source: St. Helena code current through Ord. 26-5 (June 23, 2026); rental rates viewed in Rec1 Sep 2026). Policies change — especially for groups and holidays — so confirm with Crane Park before you go. How we verify.
Picnic rules at a glance
What the picnic area is like
About Crane Park
Make a day of it
Pick up picnic food nearby
More picnic spots nearby
Frequently asked questions
Sources & accuracy