This week's roundup includes flying cars at a trade show, a pretzel bar in Chicago, a "Big Love Ball" in Niagara Falls, and a giant water curtain in New York.
The Big Love Ball, created by Vancouver designer Wendy Williams Watt, is making appearances aboard Hornblower vessels across North America. The simple concept of the traveling ball is meant to celebrate love. The ball made its first appearance aboard boats in Niagara Falls, Canada, on September 7. The ball will make appearances at Hornblower locations in New York, San Francisco, and San Diego through October 30.
Offering a pretzel bar with several varieties puts a spin on the classic snack. Paramount Events Chicago has a pretzel station with plain, sea salt, cheese, and pepperoni pretzels that hang from a stand. Accompanying sauces include whole-grain mustard and tomato-bacon jam.
The 67th Emmy Awards Governors Ball will take place at the Los Angeles Convention Center September 20. More than 45,000 Swarovski crystals in various sizes will be featured in more than 530 hand-crafted crystal strands weighing close to 450 pounds. About 30 chandeliers will drop 27 feet onto tables.
To celebrate the 2015 U.S. Open, American Express hosted "Rally on the River," a hydro-interactive tennis experience, on August 26 at Hudson River Park's Pier 97 in New York. The program allowed fans and celebrity guests to play virtual games projected on a 40- by 60-foot water curtain, which also featured holograms of past and present tennis greats.
Air France partnered with New York Road Runners for the first-ever France Run and festival, which took place August 29 in Central Park. More than 5,000 participants ran in the event, wearing festive attire including wigs in colors of the country's flag. After the race, a festival held at Naumburg Bandshell offered complimentary food, drinks, and activities from French vendors.
At this year’s South Beach Wine & Food Festival in Miami, Coca-Cola presented its bottle in a sand sculpture at the Coke Cabana. The display was part of Coke Bottle 100, the brand’s 100th anniversary celebration of its bottle, which debuted in 1915.
In Chicago, Lookingglass Theatre's junior board hosted its summer benefit on August 29 at a new venue: Water Tower Works. During cocktail hour, guests sampled deviled duck eggs with bacon from local eatery Highline Bar & Lounge. D.I.Y.-style toppings included a variety of hot sauces and flavored salts.
Airstage, a Stuttgart, Germany-based company is known for constructing and flying cars at auto shows around the world. During an international trade show, a life-size backhoe loader floated and flew over the stage at a product launch event for Komatsu, a Japanese manufacturer of construction equipment.
Food & Wine magazine hosted its Food & Wine festival in Chicago for the first time August 29 and 30. After the festival's Saturday run, the "Toast and Taste" event took place in Grant Park from 7 to 9:30 p.m. The event—which required separate $225 tickets—featured live music, drinks, and dishes from out-of-town chefs such as Tim Love and Jonathan Waxman.
The Shedd Aquarium in Chicago hosted its annual gala this year during what turned out to be the wettest June in Illinois history. In addition to tenting the terrace area of the party space, organizers took the extra step of securing umbrellas for guests to use as they checked in, to set a tone for hospitality.
