Summer may not be endless, but the memories from Yelp's Summer Sip-nic surely will be! On Saturday August 3, roughly 2,000 East Bay Yelpers gathered at Rock Wall Wine Co in Alameda for a massive urban picnic featuring 50+ food and beverage sponsors, eccentric entertainment, and no shortage of sunshine. If the weather didn't give you warm fuzzies, this just might: guest donations raised over $11,000 for two outstanding organizations: The Bay Area Derby Girls and (Park)ing Day!
About Our Charities:
Bay Area Derby Girls: The B.A.D. Girls are a skater owned and operated 501 (c)(3) non-profit
league with a commitment to helping other grassroots organizations in
the Bay Area. The B.A.D. Girls embody the DIY,
for-the-skaters/by-the-skaters ethos of modern women’s roller derby.
Entirely volunteer-run, every member of B.A.D. puts their heart, soul,
sweat and tears into growing the league and more importantly, giving
back to the community that has supported them since 2004.
(Park)ing Day is a annual open-source global event where citizens, artists and
activists collaborate to temporarily transform metered parking spaces
into “PARK(ing)” spaces: temporary public places. The project began in
2005 when Rebar,
a San Francisco art and design studio, converted a single metered
parking space into a temporary public park in downtown San Francisco.
Since 2005, PARK(ing) Day has evolved into a global movement, with
organizations and individuals creating new forms of
temporary public space in urban contexts around the world.
Food Sponsors:
Sip-nic guests feasted on a bounty of bites from the GrilledCheezGuy, Roline's Uniquely Filipino, Asena Restaurant, Humboldt Hotsauce, A-Town Pizza & Kabob House, Fritas Shack, Kitchener, Green & Go, Rubio's, Pretzel Crisps, Justin's Nut Butters, INNA Jam, Arizmendi Bakery, Whole Foods Market, KRAVE Jerky, Cypress Grove Chevre, INNA Jam, and Semifreddi's. All this was savored while taking in Rock Wall's stunning waterfront views.
The gourmet gustation didn't stop with savory bites. Tables upon tables of sweets were offered by Mission Blue Confections, Sugar Knife Artisan Sweets, KIND Healthy Snacks, Millie's Boutique Biscotti, The Stroopie Gourmet, The Tea Room Chocolate Company, Artistic Bites, Peter's Kettle Corn, Sugar & Spun, Chocolatier Blue, Luna Bars, Perugina, Michael Mischer Chocolates, Chunky Pig, Mustache Mike's Italian Ice, and Reuschelle's Cheesecakes Too much of a good thing? Never.
Drink Sponsors:
It wouldn't be a Sip-nic without some frosty bevs! Complimentary libations included brews from Trumer Pils, Drakes, Sierra Nevada, Singha, Mad River Brewing Co, Alaskan Brewing Co, Lagunitas, Ale Industries, and Ninkasi. Guests were refreshed with healthy sips form T-WE Tea, Vita Coco, hint water, Zevia Zero Calorie Soda, Honest Tea, DRY Soda, and Guayaki Yerba Mate in between wine tastings from Freixenet, Banshee Wines, Ehrenberg Cellars, Carica Wines, Red Feather Winery, Nottingham Cellars, Wente Wines, and Uproot Wines.
Rock Wall Wine Co offered a full bar of tastings, along with wines by the
glass and bottle for purchase. Picnic bottle
service? Check.
Entertainment:
When it comes to entertainment, Yelp prefers the unconventional. Sip-nic sights included chainsaw ice carving by Dana Eng, Berlin-style ping-pong rallies from Oakland Ping Pong Party, a
haven for hula hoopers by Cressie Mae Hoops, and pop-up parklets created by (Park)ing Day. The Poetry Store typed up on-the-spot poems, there were airbrush tattoos from Family Fun Entertainment, and memory-making with SnapFiesta Photobooth. On the main stage, DJ Tanoa "Samoa Boy"
spun exotica, surf, soul, funk, and boogaloo records to set
the sippin' mood. Yelp Elites had access to the VIP dome, with
chair massages from Milagro Massage Studio, silent disco party from Silent Storm, DJ Matt the Katt and DJ Diorable, and the inside scoop from DrinkMe Magazine.
Guests could party responsibly with help from our transportation sponsors. Zipcar offered discounts for designated drivers, and Uber provided a promo code for riders going to and from the Sip-nic.
Review Highlights:
"There is nothing cooler than seeing wine being stored in an airplane
hangar. When you walk outside, you get an unobstructed view of the bay
and San Francisco…we couldn't have asked for more." – Ryan C
"A-town Agency's DJ captured the mood of laid-back revelry with its Americana Surf vibe. Sculptor Dana crafted the most impressive ice cube, at about the proper size for my fantasy bourbon on the rocks. Best though, was the silent disco offered at the elites dome…hearing MJ's "Billy Jean" in my head, lip-reading the happy
dancers, brought the biggest smile to my face." – John Z
"If you were here or even if you were gazing from the heavens about, you
couldn't but help appreciate the effort from all who provided the energy, the sips…whimsical ingenious poems and gluten free ice cream sandwiches to the grilled cheese, and the tacos! Who didn't drive home without a smile?" – Michael R
"So much to choose from! I enjoyed all of the vendors and the Yelpers I
met were as sweet as the 'black masala chai chocolate' I fell in love
with. Overall I had a great experience and I'm ecstatic about being a part of Yelp." – Mrs. Artrese
"Gorgeous day. Gorgeous venue. And yes, gorgeous food and drinks! I'm not
kidding… fancy chocolates, sweet treats, and
even meatballs, were so beautifully put together. Thanks for Yelp East Bay and the lovely vendors and sponsors who made all this happen." – Mindy D
"The activities are always a hit. The silent dance party, hula hoops,
ping pong, the photo booth, the amazing DJ , and the chairs made of
exercise balls, made this a legit Sip Nic indeed!" – Valerie A
Photos:
Professional event photos can be found on the Yelp East Bay Flickr page, thanks to Photostudio29. Over 500 Yelper photos have been uploaded to the event page, and more #yelpsipnic tags on Instagram.
Until our next summer shindig…See You on Yelp!
Community Manager – Yelp East Bay
