Businesses planning pop-up picnics will decorate, cater and clean up custom al fresco dining experiences.

Picture this: You show up to a local park with a friend or date and find a picture-perfect picnic set-up waiting for you.

The scene is set with a tent, rugs, pillows and blankets, and the table is set with lanterns, plants, glasses and a charcuterie board.

After enjoying the al fresco fun, you don’t have to fret about cleaning up. You just walk away into the sunset.

It might seem like a scene reserved for dating shows or Jane Austen-inspired daydreams, but this is happening nearly every weekend in Colorado Springs.

That’s thanks to a handful of new luxury picnic planners in the Pikes Peak region.

Many of them launched after the start of the coronavirus pandemic, as picnicking became an attractive option during times of social distancing.

Ashley Johnson, a local event planner, started Picnic On The Rocks in 2021. In

Glenwood Springs, a well-being coach and holistic health practitioner and “self-proclaimed professional picnicker” combined her interests to offer picnics with the background of mountains, rivers, hot springs and waterfalls. Mod Picnic Co. in Fort Collins hosts “curated picnic events rooted in simplicity and stylish details.”

“We believe that every great event or occasion should be celebrated in style,” its website says. “Whether it’s a date night, work function, anniversary, or baby shower, we’re eager to make it memorable and unique.”

Elite Picnics is another new luxury picnic provider in Colorado Springs. It started last year after co-owner Tami Nielsen

saw pop-up picnics on a trip to San Diego. When she got back to town, she and her niece, Jami Cipriani, decided to bring the concept here.

“We’ve taken the ordinary picnic and elevated it to the picture perfect experience,” Ciprini said. “We don’t want people to have to do anything. They just show up and relax.”

They offer three tiers, including picnics for different group sizes and number of details.

“We believe that all occasions, whether big or small, deserve to be elegant and stunning,” the website states.

“That’s why we’ve taken the humble ordinary picnic and elevated it to a picture perfect experience. Our picnics are perfect for any occasion you wish to celebrate.”