Valentine to the Market Highlights

Ready..set...electricians installing stage lighting

On the evening of Saturday February 25, the Reading Terminal Market underwent an amazing conversion to become an exciting party venue packed with hidden surprises.

Theatrical lighting and dramatic staging by event management company SpecialtyUSA transformed Center Court to the Valentine to the Market.  As you wandered around the avenues you stumbled across new wonders; turn a corner to find a huge roast pig, keep walking and you spot the temporary photo booth at the edge of Center Court (click here to find yourself in our photo album!) or stop to gawk at the face and body painters decorating guests at the Gala.

 

The Shutterbooth was a huge hit!

 

Mark Beyerle, owner of SpecialtyUSA explained the concept:  "We wanted people to have fun exploring the Market after hours.  We wanted them to walk around the Market and come across hidden surprises.  The lighting helped direct guests to the various food stations and entertainment points. 

"We changed the public spaces by dressing them up using props, models and lighting. 

So the piano court became a tropical-themed bar with palm trees and a live steel band, and Center Court was unrecognisable...disco lighting and a number of different live bands had guests dancing through the night."

Walk this way to the Piano Bar..!

The new La Cucina played an important role in the evening's proceedings.  It played host to a celebrity chef cook off featuring numerous Philly names in the food scene.  The lucky chefs were supported by celebrity sous-chefs who helped prep for the chefs who under pressure had to concoct an innovative dish is under 20 minutes, as this slide show by journalist Tara Nurin shows.

The Valentine to the Market is an annual fundraiser for Reading Terminal Market.  Remember to mark your calendar for next year's Gala!  See you in 2013.

Planning a Gala? Here's how to do it!

Put on your dancing shoes...it's that time of year again!

"Expect the unexpected, because it's going to happen.  It always does." 

These sage words were uttered by Stormy Lundy, Event Manager at the Reading Terminal Market's Catering Division less than 24 hours before the Valentine to the Market Gala Fundraiser, which takes place out of hours in the Market itself this Saturday.  (To buy your tickets to the Gala, go to www.partyticketsonline.com/valentine).

Stormy sounded surprisingly calm, bearing in mind that she is co-ordinating the catering contributions of some 70 Market merchants and has to event manage one of the largest parties of the year at the Market. 

Over 600 guests are expected to dance the night away in the hallowed aisles and avenues of the Market this Saturday night.

Based on her inestimable experience catering and stage managing events large and small, Stormy offered the following nuggets for party planners everywhere...

1. There are never enough bars!  Guests don't like to be kept waiting for their drinks, so make sure that you have enough drinks stations dotted strategically around the venue.  Keep the lines short!
2. Be over generous on your drinks estimation.   it's difficult to best guess how much people will consume and even what they'll consume.  As Stormy recalls from a previous party: "We ran out of white wine, which is unheard of!  The event took place at the end of Winter and there was a largely male crowd, who you'd expect to drink red wine or beer and we just ran out.  We fixed the situation quickly enough, but you have to be on your toes and prepared to react to the unexpected."
3. People eat more than you expect in the course of an evening, particularly at a Gala.  Stormy comments:  "Because the Valentine to the Market is actually at the Market people are expecting a very high standard of food and they are literally preparing for the party even now.  They're getting their stomachs ready...cutting back on food now so that they'll ready to go on Saturday.  We suggest to the merchants that they work out what they sell to the general public on a normal day at the Market -- and then double it."

At this year's Valentine to the Market, over 95% of the merchants will be involved on the night, showcasing Market favorites (such as DiNic's pork sandwich or Cheesesteak from By George) or dreaming up new recipes for the delectation of Valentine guests. 

Joining the merchant roster this year is the Down Home Diner, which will be serving up ribs and collard greens and salmon and sweet potatoes and according to Stormy, The Shangai Gourmet is "promising quite a spread."

Stormy's crew will be serving an interesting cocktail specially that night... 

It's a Basil Gimlet and it sounds delicious. 





Also on the drinks menu on tap - at the new gastropub Molly Malloy's - is the chocolate anniversary Market stout called Engine 1892 Market Stout.

Please join us this Saturday for what promises to be an amazing gala event dedicated to a celebration of one of Philly's top tourist attractions - the Reading Terminal Market.

Valentine to the Market at Reading Terminal

What makes a great party?

Great food.  (double check)

Great drinks. (check)
Cool place.  (check, check.)

Fun crowd.  (Up to us.)

Last year's Valentine to the Market was an epic bash.   The food was staggering; catered by the Reading Terminal Market Merchants, the variety and quality were truly amazing.  The bars flowed generously with signature cocktails, wine, and beer.  As to the fun factor, well, we can personally attest to this.   We were literally pushed out the door in a conga line by the security team.  Guess they figured "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em."  And they did, right out onto 12th Street.  Kaboudi, the steel drum band who played the final set to close the evening down, was thaaat good, and they'll be back this year. 

In addition to Kaboudi, there will be plenty of other diversions:  Various dance bands and musical performances;  Shutterbooth to snap pictures of you with your nearest and dearest; a tarot card reader to tell your fortune; face painters to adorn your visage (or something else)....

This year's Party is particularly special; it marks the 120th birthday of Reading Terminal Market.  To commemorate this milestone, the party will have a Victorian theme, with ambient entertainers dressed in period costumes.

We'll see you there--don't forget to book your tickets!