With Spoleto just a little over a month away, the festival buzz has begun. Spoleto SCENE, the festival’s young patron’s group, kicked off the season with a party at Spoleto HQ on Thursday. The crowd of 20- and 30-somethings seemed to be thrilled about what this year has in store for them.
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The George Street garden was an appropriate setting for the party based on Matsukaze, one of this year’s opera offerings. While the night started out somewhat like a middle school dance — boys on one side, girls on the other — after a few cocktails the youngsters were mixing and mingling just like grown-ups. While some people might have bristled at cultural inaccuracies such as Thai chicken satay or Chinese lanterns mingling in the midst of a Japanese theme, the laid-back SCENE members were just enjoying what was a well-planned party in the good company of their peers.
The signature cocktail featured Cathead Honeysuckle Vodka and fresh blackberry juice with a splash of soda and a garnish of lemon and mint — it was perfectly light and sweet for the humid night. Rather than hiring an exotic Kabuki performer to further their theme, organizers went with DJ Party Dad (Tay McNabb), who played funky, modern mixes.
Most attendees who had been SCENE members in the past had only rave reviews for the benefits of membership, the quality of events, and good times to be had with other members. Special recognition was reserved for the universally praised White Party that typically closes the season’s SCENE events. Evidently, that’s the party to look forward to among a series of stellar events.
The marathon of partying continues with much more to come for members, and don’t forget amount the Spoleto shows themselves — after all, it isn’t all about the parties, right?
Find out more about Spoleto SCENE here.
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