Windsor Town Green picnic guide

Picnic rules at a glance

Picnicking

Picnics welcome

Bring your own food

Allowed

Alcohol

Not allowed

Purchase required

No

Reservation

Not required

Fee

Free

Food on site

Farmers market and food vendors during Thursday Summer Nights concerts (June–August); Oliver's Market (Bell Village) and downtown restaurants are nearby

Groups

No reservable picnic sites; Town Green use permits go only to non-profit organizations. Gatherings of 25+ need a Town permit (Windsor Municipal Code 5-2-105).

Dogs

Leashed dogs (6-ft max, WMC 5-1-215) allowed; keep them under control at events.

Kids

Playground; free family lawn games at the Thursday concerts.

Hours

Sunrise to sunset

Season

Open year-round. Summer Nights on the Green concerts on Thursdays, June 4–Aug 27, 2026, 6–8 p.m., with the farmers market 5–8 p.m.; Family Movies on the Green are also held.

House rules

Alcohol: Not without a permit, per the Town's current policy (treat as no for a casual BYO picnic); the sources conflict. Windsor Municipal Code 5-1-240 bans drinking in a Town park only where the Park Authority orders and posts a ban. But the Town's Facility Use and Reservation Policy (amended Apr 16, 2025, §III.B.11.a) says alcohol use is prohibited in Windsor parks without a permit. At Summer Nights on the Green, local non-profits sell alcohol and drinking must stay on the Green; the page doesn't say whether you can bring your own. The same policy bans glass containers and personal barbecues in Town parks (§III.B.21–22). Windsor's street-drinking ban (WMC 3-2-100) covers the surrounding streets, sidewalks and parking lots. No smoking on the Town Green; no bikes, skateboards or scooters on the Green. At concerts: low chairs only (seat ≤12 in.) on the center lawn, blankets only after 4:30 p.m., no chairs before 5 a.m. on event day, canopies only behind the Timeline Walk; don't park in the Bell Village lot (towing).

What the picnic area is like

Windsor's downtown square is a 4.5-acre lawn facing a stage, framed by covered pavilions, an arbor, reflecting pools, a small plum orchard, a tree-lined grove and a stand of heritage oaks, with a playground at the edge. Most people picnic on blankets on the grass, especially on summer concert nights.

• Lawn
• Shade trees
• Covered pavilion
• Playground
• Restrooms
• Parking
• Live music
• Deli or market

Good for: Families · Budget-friendly · Groups

About Windsor Town Green

Windsor's downtown lawn and event stage, a pleasant free place for a blanket picnic with a playground nearby and shops across the street. It's liveliest on summer Thursday concert nights with the farmers market. The Town's 2025 park policy says you need a permit to drink here, even though the code only bans alcohol where a ban is posted, so leave the bottle in the car unless you've called ahead.

• Free Summer Nights on the Green concerts, Thursdays 6–8 p.m., June–August
• Big lawn with pavilions, oak grove, reflecting pools and a playground
• No glass containers or personal barbecues in Town parks
• Alcohol: BYO needs a Town permit under 2025 policy; non-profits sell beer and wine at summer concerts
• Restrooms at the adjacent Huerta Gym

More dog-friendly spots in Sonoma CountyMore family-friendly spots in Sonoma CountyMore free spots in Sonoma CountyMore groups spots in Sonoma County

Pick up picnic food nearby

• Quail & Condor

  Healdsburg · 5 mi

• Santa Rosa Original Certified Farmers Market

  Santa Rosa · 5 mi

• Troubadour

  Healdsburg · 5 mi

More picnic spots nearby

Park

Keiser Park

Windsor· 0.4 mi

Bring your own foodNo reservationDogs OK

Windsor's big community park, with a reservable group picnic area, grills, playgrounds and a stage. It's a free, easy family stop near the Russian River Valley wineries west of Highway 101.

Keiser Park

Bring your own foodChecked Sep 2026

Own food

yes

Wine allowed

not confirmed

Reservation

Not needed

Dogs

Yes

Fee

Free entry

Nearest picnic food: Quail & Condor · 4.8 mi

Add to my day: Keiser ParkDetails: Keiser Park

Park

Foothill Regional Park

Windsor· 1 mi

Bring your own foodNo reservationWine allowedDogs OK

A 211-acre oak-woodland park in east Windsor with three bass-and-bluegill ponds and nearly 7 miles of trails, from a flat pond loop to a steep ridge climb. Tables dotted around the ponds make it a quiet, dog-friendly picnic spot with no County alcohol ban.

Foothill Regional Park

Bring your own foodChecked Sep 2026

Own food

yes

Wine allowed

yes

Reservation

Not needed

Dogs

Yes

Fee

$8 parking

Nearest picnic food: Quail & Condor · 5.0 mi

Add to my day: Foothill Regional ParkDetails: Foothill Regional Park

Winery

Bricoleur Vineyards

Russian River Valley· 2 mi

Buy food on sitePurchase requiredDogs OKVineyard views

A food-focused family winery in Windsor with gardens and room for kids to run. You can't bring outside food, but its Essentials Picnic comes in a wicker basket with a red wagon to wheel it across the estate.

Bricoleur Vineyards

Buy food on siteChecked Sep 2026

Own food

no

Wine purchase

Required

Reservation

not confirmed

Dogs

Yes

Fee

not confirmed

Nearest picnic food: Santa Rosa Original Certified Farmers Market · 5.0 mi

Add to my day: Bricoleur VineyardsDetails: Bricoleur Vineyards

Winery

Rodney Strong Vineyards

Russian River Valley· 2 mi

Reserved picnicsPurchase requiredDogs OKVineyard views

A big, well-known Russian River Valley winery just south of Healdsburg. Outside food isn't allowed during normal hours, but you can book a styled picnic through its partner Picnic Potential or sip by the glass on the terrace.

Rodney Strong Vineyards

Reserved picnicsChecked Sep 2026

Own food

no

Wine purchase

Required

Reservation

Required

Dogs

Outside

Fee

not confirmed

Nearest picnic food: Quail & Condor · 2.7 mi

Add to my day: Rodney Strong VineyardsDetails: Rodney Strong Vineyards

All picnic spots in Windsor →

Frequently asked questions