John F. Kennedy Memorial Park (Kennedy Park) picnic guide
Picnics welcomeNo alcoholFree entryGroup sites
Can you picnic at John F. Kennedy Memorial Park (Kennedy Park)?
Yes — John F. Kennedy Memorial Park (Kennedy Park) has picnic areas open to the public. No reservation is needed for the picnic area. Fee: Free entry and parking. Alcohol isn't allowed here.
Checked September 2026 from cityofnapa.orgStated on the venue's own website
Picnic rules at a glance
Picnicking
Picnics welcome
Bring your own food
Allowed
Alcohol
Not allowed
Purchase required
No
Reservation
Not required
Fee
Free entry and parking; unreserved tables are free. Picnic-site rental (full day): pavilion $175, large area $115, medium area $62; non-residents add $150/day; 50% off for 501(c)(3)s.
Groups
12 reservable sites. Pavilions (Meadows I, Redwoods, Grove I): 8 tables, up to 60 people, $175. Large (Grove 2, Pines, Mulberry I, Formal Gardens): 12 tables, up to 100, $115. Medium (Meadows II, Egret, Heron, Osprey, Mulberry II): 6 tables, up to 60, $62. Book 12 months to 7 days ahead with the city's Picnic Rental Form (707-257-9529, prscntr@cityofnapa.org); no online booking was found. Rentals run 8 a.m.-8 p.m. (or sunset). Unreserved sites are first-come, first-served.
Dogs
Leashed dogs (6-ft max) welcome; off-leash under voice control is allowed in Kennedy's undeveloped areas only. No dogs in playgrounds. Leash dogs in and around picnic sites.
Kids
Picnic rentals must keep 1 adult per 25 minors.
Hours
Daily sunrise to sunset
Season
Open year-round; the city may close picnic areas for repairs or annual maintenance.
House rules
Alcohol: Not allowed for drop-in visitors. Napa Municipal Code § 12.36.220(A) bans serving, drinking or possessing alcohol in any city park 'without a permit', and § 12.36.220(C) lets the director permit it only at certain facilities. In practice that means a reserved designated picnic site. The city's Parks Locations page names Kennedy, Fuller, Dry Creek, Playground Fantastico and O'Brien parks for these permits (its Parks Use Rules page still names only Kennedy). Per the Mar 2026 picnic-rental packet, a permit needs a paid reservation, a $1M insurance certificate with liquor-liability coverage filed two weeks ahead, a renter aged 21+, and food plus non-alcoholic drinks available whenever alcohol is served. Kennedy is the one park both city pages agree on. Glass beverage containers are illegal in all city parks (NMC § 12.36.240); smoking, camping, inflatables and amplified music without a permit are also prohibited. BBQ: fires are banned; the built-in grills at the pavilions and Formal Gardens are locked unless the site is reserved, and renters must use charcoal only. No portable BBQs, propane or open-flame cooking.
What the picnic area is like
Napa's biggest city park stretches along the Napa River south of downtown, with named picnic groves (Redwoods, Pines, Mulberry, Meadows, Egret, Heron, Osprey) spread between open grass and a paved river trail. Three sites have covered pavilions; the rest are clusters of tables in the trees or at the edge of the meadows, with a playground and restrooms near the main lot.
Picnic tables
Lawn
Shade trees
Covered pavilion
BBQ grills
Restrooms
Parking
Playground
Hiking trails
Wheelchair accessible
Good for: Groups · Large parties · Families · Dogs · Budget-friendly
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About John F. Kennedy Memorial Park (Kennedy Park)
Kennedy Park is the city's go-to spot for big group picnics, with covered pavilions and more reservable sites than any other Napa park. It also has a Napa River boat launch, a river trail, ball fields and a skate park. It's free to drop in, but you can only drink here with a reserved site and a city alcohol permit.
3 covered picnic pavilions plus 9 more reservable picnic sites
Built-in grills work only when you reserve the site
Alcohol only with a reserved site, permit and liquor-liability insurance
Bring your own foodNo reservationNo alcoholDogs OK
Fuller Park is Napa's historic, shady neighborhood park, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, in Old Town near downtown. Nine tree-named picnic sites and a new inclusive playground make it an easy family lunch stop, but alcohol needs a reserved site and permit.
A foothill wilderness park on Napa's southeast edge, on State land leased to Napa County and run since 1983 by the nonprofit Skyline Park Citizens Association. Most people come for its roughly 25 miles of hiking, biking and horse trails, but the entrance area also has picnic grounds, a rentable group picnic area with a cook shack, camping, disc golf and a native plant garden.
Bring your own foodNo reservationNo alcoholDogs OK
This downtown riverfront park is the most convenient patch of grass for a quick takeout lunch between Main Street tasting rooms. It's a lawn-and-steps spot with river views, not a table-and-grill park, and drinking there is not allowed.
Bring your own foodNo reservationNo alcoholDogs OK
Oxbow Commons is the open green between downtown Napa and the Oxbow district. Buy food at Oxbow Public Market across the street, then spread a blanket by the river. There are no listed tables or grills, and the city bans alcohol here.
Can you picnic at John F. Kennedy Memorial Park (Kennedy Park)?▾
Yes — John F. Kennedy Memorial Park (Kennedy Park) has picnic areas open to the public. No reservation is needed for the picnic area. Fee: Free entry and parking. Alcohol isn't allowed here.
Can you bring your own food to John F. Kennedy Memorial Park (Kennedy Park)?▾
Yes. Outside food is allowed at John F. Kennedy Memorial Park (Kennedy Park).
Can you drink wine at John F. Kennedy Memorial Park (Kennedy Park)?▾
No, alcohol isn't allowed at John F. Kennedy Memorial Park (Kennedy Park).
Do you need a reservation to picnic at John F. Kennedy Memorial Park (Kennedy Park)?▾
No reservation is needed to use the picnic area. 12 reservable sites. Pavilions (Meadows I, Redwoods, Grove I): 8 tables, up to 60 people, $175. Large (Grove 2, Pines, Mulberry I, Formal Gardens): 12 tables, up to 100, $115. Medium (Meadows II, Egret, Heron, Osprey, Mulberry II): 6 tables, up to 60, $62. Book 12 months to 7 days ahead with the city's Picnic Rental Form (707-257-9529, prscntr@cityofnapa.org); no online booking was found. Rentals run 8 a.m.-8 p.m. (or sunset). Unreserved sites are first-come, first-served.
Is there a fee to picnic at John F. Kennedy Memorial Park (Kennedy Park)?▾
Free entry and parking; unreserved tables are free. Picnic-site rental (full day): pavilion $175, large area $115, medium area $62; non-residents add $150/day; 50% off for 501(c)(3)s.
Are dogs allowed at John F. Kennedy Memorial Park (Kennedy Park)?▾
Leashed dogs (6-ft max) welcome; off-leash under voice control is allowed in Kennedy's undeveloped areas only. No dogs in playgrounds. Leash dogs in and around picnic sites.
Is John F. Kennedy Memorial Park (Kennedy Park) good for kids?▾
Picnic rentals must keep 1 adult per 25 minors.
Sources & accuracy
We last checked this listing in September 2026 (freshest source: City of Napa Picnic Rental Information PDF, modified Mar 2026). Policies change — especially for groups and holidays — so confirm with John F. Kennedy Memorial Park (Kennedy Park) before you go. How we verify.
Picnic rules at a glance
What the picnic area is like
About John F. Kennedy Memorial Park (Kennedy Park)
Make a day of it
Pick up picnic food nearby
More picnic spots nearby
Frequently asked questions
Sources & accuracy