The yearly Microsoft company picnic is the biggest picnic I have ever attended. It is so big that it’s held over three days. Microsoft employs over 30,000 people in the Seattle area and while Mountain Meadows Farm can accommodate that many, the employees are allowed to bring their children and a guest. So, instead of a picnic for 30,000, it’s a picnic for over 100,000. Employees are asked to pick one of the three days in which to attend. Today is the first day. The picnic will continue tomorrow and the last one will be held next Saturday.
While the event is call the Microsoft Company Picnic, Microsoft actually doesn’t organize it. Instead, they sub out the job to a professional picnic company (yes, there is such a thing). Setting up a picnic on a scale this big is well beyond the abilities of the typical party planner. If Trump ever wanted to give the ultimate final assignment for the Apprentice, having them organize the Microsoft Company Picnic would really put them to the test. Not only must you order a ton of food and stage a fun family event, but you need to coordinate with the local Sheriff department and government because of the sheer number of people attending.
Heading To The Farm
Getting to the Mountain Meadows Farm is no problem because 10 miles before you even hit the farm, there are signs and police to direct you to the picnic. For employees who don’t wish to drive, the picnic company hired a fleet of buses to drive people from the various MS buildings to the picnic grounds.
A section of the farm was turned into a giant parking lot. it’s big enough to park over 10,000 cars. The lot is so big there are trolley cars going around picking people from their cars and driving them to the picnic entrance. There is also a never ending flow of buses dropping employees off.
In Case You Get Lost
The event map is a good way to get to know the grounds. This farm is HUGE! I don’t think they actually grow anything. I suspect they make their money by renting their farm to Microsoft.
The International Food Village
Microsoft employs people from all over the world so the picnic needs to accommodate everyone’s taste. The food village is just that. You’ll find food that you would expect to find in a picnic, like hamburgers and BBQ. However, there’s also India food, Chinese food, Greek food, etc. I think nearly all countries of the world is represented here!
When you’re feeding this many people, you can forget about moving stuff by hand. It’s time to bring in the 18 wheelers and pallet movers!
Need a pop? Just grab as many as you want. Once it’s all gone, they just hook up a tractor and take it away. Another tractor will haul in a fresh shipment. The melting ice makes the ground all wet – that’s the reason for the planks.
Some of The Food We Ate
No Double Fisting Allowed
There was a beer garden but you’re only allowed to have one drink at a time. No double fisting allowed. I know someone who would be very upset with that.
If some bum were to take all the bottles and cans from the MS picnic and return them for the deposit, I would say that bum would no longer be a bum.
Look for more coverage of the Microsoft company picnic tomorrow.
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