After a year in the country, the picnic is returning to the alley.
Picnic in the Alley, the lavish annual tasting created and presented by women to showcase female culinary professionals, beverage professionals and artisans, traded downtown Las Vegas streets for the leafy precincts of GreenGale Farms in 2025. In 2026, the tasting is taking it to the streets again.
“We are so thrilled to bring Picnic in the Alley back to the Las Vegas Arts District this year; it’s such a special event celebrating amazing hospitality icons and artists here in Las Vegas,” top taste maker Jolene Mannina said in a Thursday announcement.
In 2019, Mannina and co-event producer Sharee Bruscher founded this fundraiser for the Women’s Hospitality Initiative. All proceeds benefit Initiative programs that build a pathway for women’s hospitality leadership through training, advocacy, and essential business and management skills.
Picnic in the Alley runs 3 to 6 p.m. Oct. 25. Tickets to the all-you-can-enjoy tasting are $150 from picnicinthealley.com. Must be at least 21. Organizers are not revealing the precise Arts District location of the fundraiser until closer to the event (in 2024, it was at 1326 S. Main St., at W. Imperial Ave.)
The Thursday announcement listed participating hospitality professionals to date:
Culinary
Lili Barajas of Tacotarian
Erica Bell of Double Zero Pie & Pub
Nicole Brisson of Brezza, Bar Zazu and Amari Italian Kitchen & Wine Shop
Lorena Cardenas, Edna Penate and Amber Tuttle of Sparrow + Wolf
Morgan Marquez Castillo of Súchil Made
Kori Cortez of Spilled Milk
Paige Courtney of Chop Shop and The Bake Shop in Park City, Utah
Jae Doan of Doanburi
Mallory Gott of Winnie & Ethel’s Downtown Diner
Angelica Halley of Honest Hospitality
Ilayali Lili Hernandez of The Little Crumb Shoppe
Irina Hili of Motherloaf702
Makini Jovaun of Harvest Divine Elegance
Effi Kasandrinos of Kasandrinos Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Keris Kuwana of Bakers Blueprint
Gina Marinelli of La Strega and Harlø Steakhouse & Bar
Kimmie Mcintosh of Milkfish Bakeshop
Andrea McLean of PopNpies
Andrea Mineshima of Honey Salt
Crystina Nguyen of Durango Social Club/This Mama’s House
Floriana Pastore of Signora Pizza
Jaimee Pepe of Twin Creeks Steakhouse in Silverton
Salome Pilas of Oming’s Kitchen
Christina Sforza of Urban Jungle (plant services)
Brittany Snyder of 44 Grand
Sarah Thompson of Casa Playa in Wynn Las Vegas
Laura Vargas of Jaleo by José Andrés in The Cosmopolitan
Dani White of Yukon Pizza
Jessica Woods of Wild Rind Cheese + Provisions
Natalie Young of Echo Taste Sound
Beverage
Emily Baddock of ALT Imports
Niki Benevides of MarkeTeam
Cesilia Berumen of The Golden Tiki
Kat Calma and Roxy Hendrickson of The Dustland Bar
Danielle Crouch of Jammyland
Christina Dylag of Velveteen Rabbit
Honey Flores and Cessy Mendoza of Hiraya Coffee
Wyndee Forrest of CraftHaus Brewery
Madisyn Gaudioso of Class Cocktails & Vermuteria
Nadine Medina of The Cocktail Cone
Julia Pennington of Animal Spirits/Hera The Dog Vodka
Cami Razo of Viking Mike’s Alpine Yurt Bar
Kat Thomas of Ada’s
Amy Watts of WES Brands/Aspen Vodka
Jacqueline Wisemen of Nestlé Waters and Premium Beverages
Contact Johnathan L. Wright at [email protected]. Follow @JLWTaste on Instagram.
The event, founded in 2019, is created and presented entirely by women to showcase female chefs, beverage professionals and artisans.