Our First (Hosted) Live Event Since March
Summary lead. || Photo Credit.
About a month ago - even amidst the news about the upcoming election, hurricanes and the ongoing global pandemic - we found ourselves wondering “what would Halloween be like without trick-or-treating??” We couldn’t imagine a world with no candy or costumes, so we got to thinking about how we could do our part to help ensure a safe and fun (even if different) Halloween experience for the community. Could we actually pull it off? Would the city even ‘ok’ it? Could we make it unforgettable for attendees?
The answer was a resounding YES to all of the above and more. We envisioned a “Halloween Drive-BOO” to be held at RED VELVET’s headquarters on North Lamar in Austin where we’d invite our guests to trick-or-treat - physically distanced, of course - from their cars. Our goal was to incorporate as much interactivity as possible with our guests and our partners, deliver a spooky but fun ambiance, include a give-back component and most importantly, ensure the safety of all.
Within a few weeks, thirteen partners were committed and planning got underway. And with just under a week out (with just one week of registration being live), we were “officially” sold out, utilizing only social media channels and our friends at a handful of local news stations and sites to spread the word.
On Saturday, October 31st, RED VELVET hosted our first live event since March. We did so safely and enjoyably, and with a bit of flair - all made possible by hard work, generous contributions from our partners, great weather and of course, all those willing to come out and see us! We saw friends, family and colleagues we hadn’t seen in months, over 100 cars in the span of three hours - many packed full with families dressed head-to-toe in some of the most creative costumes we’d ever seen. We heard laughter and squeals of delight and surprise. It was an awesome day for all.
Along with a closer look at the experience via our gallery on Facebook, here are some additional fun stats we’re thrilled to share. By the event’s end, we:
exceeded our attendance goal by 24%,
gave away 4,140 lbs of candy, 300 gift cards to Barrett's, 300 Tiff's Treats cookies, 150 bags of cotton candy, 475 goodie bags, 275 balloon candy cups,
decorated 90 cars with halloween-inspired paintings,
moved 280 people through the “world’s smallest haunted house,”
raised a grand total of $1800 for Central Texas Food Bank and Austin Pets Alive, and two (2) car loads of most-needed goods to both Austin Pets Alive and Caritas of Austin. [NOTE: donations are still being collected - please email us at hello@redvelvetevents.com if you are interested in donating to these charities in need!]
So we wanted to take a minute to express our sincere gratitude to our sponsors for making this possible: American Color Labs, Austin Detours, The Balloon Collective, Barrett's Coffee Roasters, BoothEasy, Fancy Fluff, The Fancy Flush, Game Plan Entertainment, Groove Labs, Kitsch Floral & Event Styling, McLendon Event Photography, Strong Events, and Tiff's Treats. We couldn’t have done it without you!
Seeing so many smiling faces (even behind masks and car windows) at this event brought deep joy to us all and reminded us why we do this in the first place - to bring people together and make lasting human connections possible. It was clear everyone who came yearned for human connection (and fun and ok, yes, and lots of candy!). We were honored to be the conduit for it all.
Safe, live experiences WILL be back and we’re ready to embrace that in every way possible as soon as possible. Look forward to seeing you at one of them soon!
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