For a fun cocktail idea, Korean restaurant Thursday Kitchen in New York serves drinks inspired by old-school Capri Sun pouches. The cocktails, which come in lemon, strawberry, lychee, and cucumber flavors, are mixed with soju, a vodka-like rice liquor.
S’mores got their start as sticky, gooey, handheld campfire treats, but events have reinvented them in many ways friendlier to guests, such as this example of a lollipop version at the Engage!14 Wedding Summit dessert party.
At the Watermill Center’s benefit in 2015, Great Performances created dishes that would allow guests to easily roam—all self-serve options designed to be hand-held and didn't even necessarily require plates. Among them was fried chicken served in waffle cones.
Rather than the traditional bowl of splash-prone red sauce, New York’s Elegant Affairs offered a neater take on spaghetti and meatballs, using mess-free form topped with a micro meatball and marinara and sprinkled with parmesan.
Mary Giuliani Catering and Events in New York created a catering option of one-bite paella with shrimp and chorizo with sips of sangria, a take on the hearty rice dish.
Salad can be messy, with the risk of oily dressing ending up on clothes and hands. Occasions Caterers in Washington created a wedge salad bite hors d’oeuvre, served on a fork, that tidies up salad service.
Small bites at the event included doughnut holes that guests could pick off from a tree. Peter Callahan Catering handled catering.
In the tent, guests were invited to have pictures taken in front of a green screen. The photo backdrop featured Tropicana animations and an inspiring word of choice. Photos were projected onto a Times Square billboard.
Throughout the festival, sponsor Francis Ford Coppola Winery hosted parties and activations, including a custom oversize wine cork mural at the Sundance Co-Op. The winery commissioned artist Scott Gundersen to create the mural—titled "The Big Picture"—through the duration of the event. Attendees also were able to contribute to the installation.
