A Rio Carnivale Raises Money for Lakewood Ranch

For one night only, the Lakewood Ranch Golf and County Club was transformed into a Rio festivale. Using bright colors and tropical settings to lure hundreds, a $12,000 diamond and exotic animals to keep those hundreds there, and culinary delights to send them home happy, Rosalind Ryan of SHOWORKS Inc. was just glad she could do her part to aid a good cause."The purpose of this event was to say thank you to all of the many contributing sponsors of the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund who give of their time, talent, and gifts in an effort to enhance the quality of life for their community and surrounding area by supporting human services, fostering academics and the arts, enhancing the environment, and creating more vibrant communities," said Ryan, the event's producer.

Before guests even arrived, they could see bright lights in the distance, as large tropical palm fronds were projected onto the building, and purple accent lighting was featured in the bell tower. As they neared and pulled up, a juggling fire-breather began to entertain them at the entrance, which had been transformed to resemble a tropical rain forest. Animals were also brought in to further heighten that feeling, so guests were talking to colorful parrots, holding a large iguana, and taking pictures of a lady bearing a live snake.

Vibrantly colored stiltwalkers then welcomed guests to the lobby, which had been transformed into the "Festivale de Fuego" (Festival of Fire): special fire motion projections and a large image of the sun turned the entry and staircase into a wall of fire, and tiki god flame pots were accented with orchids, lush foliage, and a beautiful peacock. Attendees were then able to relax a bit, as they sampled artfully arranged appetizers and enjoyed a special champagne display that featured a soon-to-be-raffled $12,000 yellow diamond. They were surrounded, as they ate, by 10-foot-tall truss columns topped with an enormous arrangement of live tropical palm fronds, all of which were internally lit with color-changing LED lights. Once finished, a six-foot custom-built sign pointed them to the other venues throughout the country club. Guests could stop and take pictures at the "Debajo de Sol" ("Under the Sun") photo station, or they could stroll past a three-dimensional tropical bird with lush foliage and dramatic accent lighting en route to the dining room.

A multicolored curtain backdrop in the dining room helped separate eight food stations, all prepped by Lakewood chefs. Selections included ceviche, Blue Point oysters on the half shell, and elk sirloin steak with a blackberry brandy demi-glace. The tables in this room were all draped in vibrant hues of primarily pink, red, orange, and blue, and topped with centerpieces that contained tropical fruits, floral arrangements, and colorful spandex tabletop umbrellas. Additional dining areas featured a Carmen Miranda impersonator, who doubled as an appetizer station and delighted guests with her lively conversation and satin red tablecloth, as well as a seafood buffet room decorated in softer tropical hues, a unique hammock marketplace vignette, and large tropical arrangements accented with amber lighting.

Outside, visitors could "escape to Paqueta Island," a customized country club section featuring more tropical foliage, thatched umbrella centerpieces with hanging votives, and cocktail tables draped in tranquil blue linens and banana-leaf centerpieces. A tiki bar served fruity drinks, while a barbecue was under way in the background. Guests in this section reclined in low cedar Adirondack chairs, enjoyed calypso music, and were surrounded by copper fire pits. Additional patios featured an authentic cigar roller and lush foliage with flame pots. Back inside, a Latin American bar named "Casa de Café" ("House of Coffee") awaited those who needed a quick pick-me-up. While coffee was obviously the main drink there, the café also featured some other choices, such as a chocolate martini that became a huge hit with attendees. High-top cocktail tables were draped in chocolate and burlap linens and featured coffee bean-filled cigar box centerpieces; they sat comfortably next to the fireplace.

The night's grand finale took place in the grand ballroom upstairs, an area that could only be reached by walking through a dramatic, internally lit acrylic entrance that was made to look like a sun. A multicolored fabric ceiling treatment created canopy, under which guests danced on a bright red, high-gloss dance floor. Towering multicolored feathered columns lined the perimeter of the room and complemented the alternating floral and large feather centerpieces. For dramatic effect, LED lights continually changed the color of the walls and accentuated the six-foot stage centerpiece—a Carnivale mask. The Lakewood staff created several desserts for this ballroom as well, including a tropical fruit flambé and a chocolate fountain display.

—Albert del Toral