At the end of the school year in June, a New Jersey family feted its high school graduate with a backyard bash. But this wasn't any old barbecue: Designed by David Stark, the inventive affair had decor comprised of red plastic cups. A DJ booth was made of hundreds of stacked Solo cups and framed with columns that evoked a classic fraternity house. Custom graphics of college pennants decorated the dance floor.
On July 8, the Today show anchors raced in a bottomless canoe. After interviewing cast members from USA Network's reality competition series Summer Camp on the Today show plaza, two teams—one from Today, one representing Summer Camp—competed in a series of camp-inspired activities. After a sack race, a puzzle challenge, and a race down slides, the teams jumped into bottomless canoes and raced toward flag poles, where the first team to get its flag up (ultimately, Today) was declared the winner.
Each year, architecture firm Raw Designs hosts an industry event with a topical theme related to city building. This year's June 26 fete, held on the rooftop of a Toronto parking garage, was produced again by Kim Graham & Associates and celebrated human power. To bring the abstract theme to life, organizers designed an event that was human-powered. As triathletes furiously pedaled on generator bikes, they created energy that fueled custom light displays and DJ-driven beats.
This summer's blockbuster movies promoted themselves with elaborate premieres. Following the Hangover 3 premiere at Westwood's Village Theatre in Los Angeles, 15/40 produced an after-party for 700 guests that transformed a parking lot on Braxton into a scene reminiscent of the film's Vegas setting, complete with an elaborate fountain.
With a seasonally appropriate A Midsummer Night's Dream theme, the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences' Five Star Diamond Awards ceremony took place on June 25 at the Addison in Boca Raton, Florida. Benny Ofer of Daniel Events designed the event, giving it the look of an enchanted garden. Describing his overall vision as "vintage and Victorian, inspired by the color and architecture of the Addison," Ofer festooned the courtyard and main dining room with dragonwood tree stands and hung grapevines from the ceiling.
Havianas recently showcased its 2013 collection with a Brazilian-themed bash in its New York showroom. Tropical-feeling snacks from KG Fare Catering & Events included paella on a stick.
Speaking of tropical snacks, Toronto just got its first Hawaiian-inspired shaved-ice truck. Sweet Snow Shave Ice brings summery snacks to events and meetings. Icy treats are made with natural sweeteners such as agave and organic cane sugar, and flavors include guava, mango, and "the Hawaiian," which blends pineapple, coconut, and banana.
Launched the weekend of Bastille Day, Fête Paradiso on Governor's Island in New York—billed as the world's first traveling festival of vintage carnival rides and carousels—brings with it authentic rides and amusements from 1900s France. Among the handful of carnival games situated along the perimeter of the park is the Music Hall Ball Guzzler, from circa 1934, where guests tried to throw balls into the mouths of life-size caricatures of Josephine Baker, Maurice Chevalier, Charlie Chaplin, and other iconic characters. The festival runs through September 29.
No one wants bland rubber chicken. Instead, try a unique poultry dish such as the “Chicken Three Ways” by Encore Catering in Toronto. It includes chicken Niçoise on a coconut shell with potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, kalamata olives, and hard-boiled quail eggs; deconstructed chicken yakitori; and a chicken taco with papaya, red radish, cilantro sprouts, and tomato sofrito.
Burger King debuted its summer menu in May with an urban barbecue at the Glasshouses in New York. Peter Callahan Catering styled the food, and gift bags included barbecue sauce and USB drives in the form of the classic Whopper hamburger.
