D.C. Caterer Serves Edgy Cool for an Epic Influencer Party

For the fifth straight year, Washington, D.C.’s Ridgewells Catering spent the day before St. Patrick’s Day celebrating alongside a list of top names in the events industry at its annual Erin Go Glam event.

Since its 2019 debut, this not-to-be-missed party has earned a reputation for its whimsical and unconventional themes, over-the-top details, and celebratory vibe. This year’s rock and roll theme was on full display throughout the event, pulling references from Ireland’s rock music history and culture to craft an event that felt bold, colorful, and decidedly edgy.

“I think this is where the industry is right now, and where it’s going,” says Susan Lacz, CEO and principal of Ridgewells Catering. “People want loud, they want color and excitement and to feel alive. With COVID disrupting this industry—and including for this event, where we had shifted the focus to more of a panel discussion to talk about how we’ve been dealing with that for the last two years—we wanted to just make a full departure from that format and go wild with something that felt fresh and bold this year.” Photo: Ronald Flores Photography

Not an easy accomplishment for an event whose audience is a list of who’s-who in the events industry—so Ridgewells enlisted a deep vendor team of top industry professionals to help pull together every creative detail of the day. The party was held in the penthouse at the newly minted Highpoint at 1333 in downtown Washington, D.C., with sweeping panoramic views of the nation’s capital. Upon exiting the elevators on the rooftop, attendees were greeted with custom artwork from Design Foundry, inspired by a rock concert, tattoos, and Ireland. Guests received customized VIP badges from Epoch Design Co., and were treated to a merchandise bar where they could shop for complimentary gifts, including collectible pins from all five years of the event’s history, courtesy of Ridgewells.

Cocktail Curations served smoking cocktails with customized edible artwork, and aerialists from Skylark Entertainment poured Champagne from metal cages on the outdoor rooftop while a painter painted a live performer in front of custom artwork. Lucy Black Entertainment set the mood with a stellar rock and roll band that played throughout the cocktail hour, during which attendees could sit with a makeup artist for specialized glitter and gem face art, and Helen Olivia Flowers turned the space into a lush scene with large colorful sprays of florals. On the patio, guests visited a photo salon with Love Life Images, staged with a motorcycle and grafitti art. Photo: Ronald Flores Photography

The dining area was a scene of bold, modern, and colorful indulgence with furniture curated from Something Vintage, and included velvet banquet tables from Design Foundry alongside specialty rentals from Perfect Settings, Table Manners, and Nuage Designs. It was all the perfect accompaniment for Ridgewells’s grand showing—a five-course meal that featured a spring pea and mint soup, an elevated take on a miniature corned beef sandwich, Shepherd’s Pie Cannoli (a never-been-seen new item from award-winning executive chef Kashif Browne that had guests raving), a spring halibut a la meunière entrée, and a colorful dessert featuring an outstanding Guinness marog. Before saying farewell, guests were treated to boozy green milkshakes and a custom iced coffee and tea bar.

Ronald Flores Photography and Kathykins Creative captured the event’s photography and videography, and you can see all of this year’s details by following #ErinGoGlam and @ridgewellsdc on Instagram. Sláinte!

VENDORS
Ridgewells Catering (@ridgewellsdc)
Something Vintage Rentals (@smthingvintage)
Design Foundry (@designfoundry)
Cocktail Curations (@cocktailcurations)
HighPoint at 1333 (@highpointat1333)
Helen Olivia Flowers (@helenoliviaflowers)
Ronald Flores Photography (@onaldfloresphotography)
Love Life Images (@lovelifeimages)
Lucy Black Entertainment (@lucyblackent)
Ace Beverage Fine Wines & Spirits (@acebevdc)
AVLD Events (@avld_events)
Kathykins Creative (@kkinscreative)
Perfect Settings (@perfectsettingsllc)
Skylark Creative Group (@skylarkcreativegrp)
Epoch Design Co. (@epochdesign.co)