MOSES LAKE — The venue is booked. The menu is prepared. The band is scheduled. It must be time for another Senior Picnic at the Grant County Fairgrounds. This year sees the annual event celebrating a decade of fun for the Columbia Basin Senior Forum’s signature event, said Karisti Cox, chairperson for the event. 

“This year it will be our 10-year anniversary for the resource fair and we will be holding the event in both the 4-H and Commercial Bldgs. at the Grant County Fairgrounds.  Last year we accommodated nearly 700 participants and this year we anticipate even more,” Cox said. 

The annual event is an opportunity for those 55 and older to gather together, enjoy each other’s company and be shown some appreciation and pampering. Cox said it’s also an opportunity for organizations that serve seniors to get the word out and ensure older residents in the area know what the Columbia Basin has to offer them. 

“This is about, you know, seniors being able to see what is available in their area. All of the food is donated. All of the prizes are donated. The band that comes to play, they pretty much play for tips,” Cox said. 

Booths at the event will highlight the services various organizations around the Columbia Basin offer seniors, whether that’s nonprofits or activity groups, it’s all about making sure seniors have a high quality of life. 

It’s a picnic, and what’s a picnic without food? 

Cox said the menu this year is luau-themed and includes a pineapple chicken dish, pasta salad, baked beans and cookies. Basically, comfort food with a tropical twist.

Getting to spend time together is important as well, Cox said. Many of the older attendees don’t get as much opportunity to socialize as they might like, so the Senior Picnic is as much a huge social event as it is informative — and Cox sees that as a good thing.

“A lot of times, they will see people that they have not seen since the year before,” she said. 

The entire extravaganza is set up completely not-for-profit, Cox said. All of the expenses are covered through donations and volunteering. The goal is to simply cover those expenses through booth fees and donations and anything left over is simply rolled into the next year’s event. That makes the community support the Senior Picnic receives from volunteers and donors vital — and highly appreciated. 

“We really, really, truly do have just so much support from the community that helps put this on. We just couldn’t do it without everybody’s support,” Cox said, noting that there were too many sponsors for the event to list them all. 

Senior Picnic at the Grant County Fairgrounds
3953 Airway Drive NE
Moses Lake, WA 98837
June 12, 2024
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Free for seniors (55+)

    Connie Buren displays her best Kentucky Derby hat, which she wore to the annual Senior Picnic at the Grant County Fairgrounds in 2021. While the event was drive-thru that year, seniors still stepped out for fun and to enjoy delicious food.
  

    The 2016 Senior Picnic gathered quite a crowd at the Grant County Fairgrounds. The annual event was begun a decade ago and is celebrating its tenth year with a Luau theme and lots of community support.
  

    A volunteer brings food to a senior during the 2022 Senior Picnic in Moses Lake. The booths in the background are a part of the event to help seniors know what resources and opportunities are available in the Columbia Basin communities they live in.