G&S 15th Birthday: Gilded Age Garden Party
Nyack, NY
Gemini and Scorpio
cordially invite you to
G&S 15th Birthday: Gilded Age Garden Party
Saturday, Sep 9, 3pm-12am & Sunday, Sep 10, 1pm-7pm, all ages
Pretty Penny: historical Victorian mansion, 235 N Broadway, Nyack, NY
Reachable within an hour by bus, train or our own charter bus
Overnight accommodations possible in mansion & nearby
Info: http://www.geminiandscorpio.com/events.html
FB: https://www.facebook.com/events/1653454431351363
Tix: http://bpt.me/521628 -- see below for ticket options
Social media: @gemini_scorpio #geminiandscorpio #gsvictorianball
Gemini & Scorpio celebrate 15 years of immersive themed costume events with a weekend-long getaway to a historical Victorian mansion for a turn-of-century garden party.
Expect a lavish and historically accurate food buffet in the style of our Victorian events, a full orchestra performing in the garden all day, poolside champagne and classic cocktails, Victorian games & amusements, and outdoor silent films after sunset -- all in a stunning antiques-filled 1858 mansion with a pool and terraced garden.
Entertainment and activities:
- Retro Remix Orchestra - classic songs and current pop hits performed in orchestral, hot jazz and swing arrangements
- Hand-drawn fashion illustrations of guests by Anastasios Taso Megaris
- Photo booth with celebrity portrait photographer Allan Amato: http://www.allanamato.com
- Victorian garden & parlor games
- Card games played with authentic decks from mid-1800s through early 1900s
- DIY amusements from turn-of-century books
- Poolside popped corn from our vintage-styled machine
- Saturday evening parlor party with full tea service and dessert
Dress code:
1800-1910s summer garden party, with all-white, cream and pastel tones encouraged (seersucker or light gray are great summer options for men). No modern casual wear, please - though modern cocktail summer attire is easy to accessorize with a nod to Victorian times. Please wear comfortable shoes, hats or parasols for sun protection, and don't forget your swimwear and towels (no towels provided). Costume inspiration Pinterest board (not ours): http://bit.ly/1WvlVyB - and ours for banquet/ball/tea research: http://bit.ly/29n5fZm
Ticket options (if buying 5 or more tickets, use code "group" for $10-20 off all levels):
Saturday & weekend:
- Bronze, $30 - event access 3-9pm, and a welcome champagne as you arrive. You're welcome to bring a picnic or get food in town (but no outside drinks, please).
- Silver, $45 - event access 3pm-12am, giving you additional time to explore the town of Nyack, a welcome champagne as you arrive, then dessert & parlor tea party at 9:30pm.
- Gold, $95 - event access 3-9pm, a welcome champagne as you arrive, historical food buffet 5-8pm, two drink tickets.
- Platinum, $110 - event access 3pm-12am, and a welcome champagne as you arrive, historical food buffet 5-8pm, two drink tickets, plus dessert and parlor tea party at 9:30pm.
- Diamond, $200*: event access 3pm-12am Sat, 11am-11pm Sun (official event end 7pm), including everything above plus breakfast at 11:30am Sun. Those with mansion accommodations have overnight access Sat and Sun.
Sunday:
- Bronze, $30 - event access 1-7pm, and a welcome champagne as you arrive. You're welcome to bring a picnic or get food in town (but no outside drinks, please).
- Silver, $40* - event access 1-11pm, giving you additional time to explore the town of Nyack, and a welcome champagne as you arrive.
- Gold, $95 - event access 1-7pm, a welcome champagne as you arrive, historical food buffet 2-6pm, two drink tickets.
- Platinum, $105* - event access 1-11pm, a welcome champagne as you arrive, historical food buffet 2-6pm, two drink tickets.
*The formal event is over at 7pm on Sunday, but you can join the crew for leftovers, cocktails, and lounging in the beautiful house. Go into town for dinner and a stroll. Those with mansion accommodations have overnight access.
About our chef:
Rebecca Leigh Silverman has over 20 years experience working in living history museums as an historic culinary expert. She specializes in period hearthside cooking and libations. When not cooking in the past, she's a Brooklyn based bartender, trying odd old recipes out on her modern day customers and talking about the perfect sazerac.
About our venue:
Ever since the legendary actress Helen Hayes and her husband, the playwright Charles MacArthur, bought the 1858 wedding cake of a house in Nyack in 1932 and christened it Pretty Penny, the historic home has become one of the best-known properties the Lower Hudson Valley. The 7,000-square-foot house has front and back porches, hardwood floors, five bedrooms (each with its own bathroom), and several fireplaces. The interlinked public rooms on the ground floor include a formal dining room, music room, and several sitting rooms, but the heart of the house is the double parlor with a set of French doors that open to the river. A pair of fireplaces with elaborate Italian marble mantels bookend the room. Above them are large gold-framed mirrors that are said to have been bought in Nyack by Hayes. Beyond the floor-to-ceiling river-view double windows, a terraced garden containing 600 conifers and 350 rose bushes leads to an oversized pool below.
Right from the start, the 1858 Italianate Victorian was a magnet for celebrities. Hayes and MacArthur entertained the likes of Ronald Reagan, Marilyn Monroe, Rosalind Russell, Ed Sullivan, Noel Coward, Laurence Olivier, Katharine Hepburn and Vivien Leigh. Cole Porter played the piano. F. Scott Fitzgerald left a signed copy of one of his books. John Barrymore was said to have once stopped by for a pack of cigarettes and left three days later. Edward Hopper famously painted the house in 1939. In more recent years, the home was owned and renovated by Rosie O'Donnell, and Russell Crowe rented it for six months while filming "American Gangster" in 2006.
About Nyack:
A charming town just 20 miles outside of the city, Nyack has numerous retail, restaurant and bar options to keep you entertained if you want to venture from the mansion. We'll be about a 10 minute walk away from the center of town. We recommend booking your own accommodations nearby and staying for the weekend.
Accommodations:
There are only five bedrooms in the house, ranging from a sprawling master bedroom with river views to a charming single, each with its own bathroom (some can fit air mattresses, as well). You can rent them either for just Sat night, or for Sat & Sun. Price range: $175-$350 Sat, $150-$250 Sun. See G&S site for detailed room options & photos. Please contact us directly to arrange.
There are a few other hotel options in and near Nyack, ranging $150-275/night. We recommend searching through Kayak.com for best rates and booking sooner than later: Nyack is a popular town for summertime weekend getaways.
Transport options from NYC:
- Charter bus, $15 one way: Sat departing NYC at 2pm & 4pm / departing Nyack 9pm & 12am; Sun departing NYC at 12pm & 2pm / departing Nyack 7pm & 11pm. Please be sure to purchase ticket levels corresponding to correct bus times: http://bpt.me/521628
- Bus: http://www.coachusa.com (about $22 roundtrip, about an hour ride)
Port Authority Gate 220 to Nyack: 2:22pm, 3:15pm, 4:22pm, 5:15pm
Nyack to Port Authority: 8:08pm, 9:08pm, 10:08pm
- Train: http://www.mta.info ($21.50 roundtrip, about 40 min ride + approx $20 for taxi, about 10min ride)
Grand Central to Tarrytown and back: roughly every 20 min, last train back at 11:13pm
We're looking into the possibility of a shuttle from the train station -- info TK.
- Car: Nyack is about 20 miles north of NYC, so a 30-50 minute drive, depending on where you start. There is street parking just near the house, and a few larger parking lots in town, but carpooling is strongly recommended. |
Location
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Pretty Penny, historical Victorian mansion
235 N Broadway
Nyack, NY 10960
United States
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Dates
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| First: | Thursday 12 Déc
2013 21:00 | | Last: | Saturday 09 Sep 2017 15:00 |
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Prices
Contact
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