In Cincinnati, everyone was seeing red (in the best possible way, of course).
How could they not be? It was Opening Day, an unofficial holiday in Cincinnati. People from all over took off work and headed down to the ball field to see our beloved Cincinnati Reds, baseball’s first professional team, play ball and take names. And that’s just what we did with a dramatic come-from-behind win.
We rode that celebration high into the night, when we all switched from The Reds to Yelp’s Red Light Event at The Avenue Lounge in Covington.
What was once The Pad, the seediest strip club in the area, has been transformed into a beautiful mood-lit exposed-brick lounge with a giant bar, comfortable couches, stage for a DJ, and, as an homage to its murky past, a gleaming silver stripper pole.
As the sun went down, the red tinted lights gave a beautiful glow to the entire space. People enjoyed light-bites from Amerasia and red velvet cupcakes by Hey Cupcake, which were a personal treat for Angela C. “Those cupcakes were heavenly,” she said, sinning through every bite.
Still, it was what happened behind the bar that really made this party shine. Three bartenders dressed as pin-up girls served up pineapple-infused Three Olives Vodka cocktails, Kentucky Ale and Bourbon Barrel Ale bottles and a locally made Horseshoe Bend wines. It couldn't have gone down smoother.
“I love food, and though the food was very very tasty, I was enjoying the atmosphere, the drinks, the ambiance, and the conversations so much that I wasn't even inclined to engorge myself… and that's rare for me!” Jess K declared. “That is just how great this event was!”
Yelpers also played risqué personal BINGO, where they were given a card full of items like “been to a burlesque show” or “written a Yelp review of a naughty place” and searched for other party goers who had done these items in order to win prizes. Elites got to know each other on a whole new level.
“My favorite part though,” Rachel G adds, “was getting to write on the mirror with lipstick – both behind the stripper pole and even in the bathroom! It definitely added to the whole risqué feel we were going with.”
The tone of the night was set with fantastic smooth mixes from DJ Chinn Chilla, who brought red records to spin with and even dyed his hair Yelp's color for the event.
But don’t just take our word on the night’s awesomeness, you can read all the reviews right here. You can also check out the other awesome pics by photographer extraordinaire Anna Penny on the Official Yelp Flickr page!
Yelp’s Red Light Party? Why, it was as much fun as you can have without taking off your clothes.
Alex S, Cincy Community Manager
