From the same event planners that has recently brought the city the most fashionable day at the track: The Cup; and Punch Bowl, the summer cocktail event, comes Rosé Disco. Rosé Disco is a blending of the two, but with a more music focused presentation, held at the PNE Fairgrounds. And this was its inaugural year.
The dresscode was pink and white to marry with the Rosé theme. The result a spectacle of rosy hues and pastel pinks, timely for the popularity of the Barbie Movie. Here, over 30 local wineries were pouring their favourite Rosés for guests to try.
Sadly, drinks were not included with the ticket cost and you were required to purchase tokens, in order to redeem them for said drinks. $30 for 4 tokens, with 2 tokens required for each Rosé pour. That is $15 for approximately 5oz.
The savvy shopper knew to seek out the beer or cooler booths instead, as they only asked for 1 token per full can. At $7 a can, this was still pricy, but at least you got more liquor for less. And you can’t expect much more from festival/event pricing. Naturally these cooler lines were the longest, outside of the portable toilets.
As fun as the ability to have Rosé all day was and to take in the photo ops, the highlight was really the concert. At $30-35 a ticket for entry and entertainment, (depending if you got the early bird pricing) this was well worth it for a summer concert like no other. The whole experience was like being at a musical festival without the commitment of having to travel, and starting and ending at a reasonable time. 1pm to 6pm at a location that is at the heart of city and transit accessible.
This sold out event had live DJ sets from Felix Cartel, Young Bombs, My!Gay!Husband!, and Nina Mendoza. They set the tone and sounds from the centre stage, combing pop and dance with a techno beat that had you waiting for the drop. And with enough drinking it had everyone dancing, myself included.
You could perch up here, or explore the entirety of the event grounds. There was so much to see and do. For those who chose the former most, you could purchase a plastic Rosé Disco themed picnic blanket in pink, printed with their flamingo and disco ball mascots all across it. There were also mini pink paper umbrella for sale. They didn’t do much to shield you from the sun, but did make for a great photo op.
These two were great keepsakes, other than the classic pink branded wine glasses that everyone got walking in. These were your drink receptacles for the day. A collectable cup you used throughout the event, as your drinks would be poured within. However my guest and I opted for an upgrade, equipping ourselves with the insulated, Rosé Disco branded wine cooler cup instead. Not only were they reusable, but a great way to keep our iced drinks cool, when the heat of the sun was at its fullest.
I wouldn’t be going into detail of all the wineries participating, but note that the line up included cideries, breweries, and distilleries as well.
As for food, there was plenty to choose from from food trucks to stalls staffed by popular local restaurants.
In short this was a great time, best heavily drinking. So if you are thinking about visiting next year, be sure to save up some cash for tokens, and bookmark the link below. This was definitely the most fun of all the Feaster events I have been to, to date.
