Park lunch service continues in July – free hot meals available in five residents’ parks
Free park lunches will again be offered to children in the summer. Lunch will be served from 1 to 31 July 2026 in five residents’ parks in Espoo: Latokaski, Viherkallio, Matinkylä, Suvela and Tapiola.
Free park lunches will again be served in Espoo in the summer. From 1 to 31 July, under 16-year-olds can enjoy a free hot meal at 11:30 on weekdays at five residents’ parks. Lunches will be served in the Latokaski, Viherkallio, Matinkylä, Suvela and Tapiola residents’ parks. Espoo Catering is in charge of the lunch service.
Just like last summer, you need to bring your own dishes and cutlery with you. No advance registration is needed. Each park will have food for the first 150 people.
Changes from last summer – lunch is served at 11:30
We have made minor changes to the park lunch service from last summer. Our aim is to offer activities in slightly different areas each summer. We have also listened to our customers’ wishes and feedback, and lunch will be served half an hour earlier this summer, starting at 11:30.
Children’s participation is visible on the menu
The summer menu will be published in Espoo Catering’s Aromi service in June. As always, our menu contains children’s favourites that are suitable for a park environment, such as soups and casserole dishes. Drinking water will also be available.
Our foods do not contain lactose, egg or pork. Vegetarian food will be served on 2–3 days a week. Unfortunately, we will not be able to cater for special dietary needs.
This year, we have also come up with something new: children get to vote in advance for their favourite foods in the residents’ parks. When the dish chosen by children is served in July, our parks will celebrate children’s participation day. At the same time, we will celebrate the 50th anniversary of our residents’ park activities.
Residents’ parks are full of activities all summer
All 16 residents’ parks will be open in June and offer a wide range of activities for children and families. In July, summer activities will be available in the five parks participating in the park lunch service. The summer programme will be published later.
In honour of the anniversary, our residents’ parks will collect their customers’ memories and stories during the spring. A compilation of these memories and stories will be on display at Espoo’s libraries in September.
Children’s ideas and wishes play an important role in the planning and organisation of our park activities. Our staff encourage children to share their views – taking even small ideas into account can have a big impact on the children.
You can find a list of all residents’ parks and information about their activities here. Our residents’ parks also share information about their activities on social media. So make sure to follow your local park’s social media channels!