The Summer Party

What smells of summer more than tennis and polo?

Granted I am not enamoured of either pastime, but I'm willing to see who is and pay $50 to do so...especailly if there's a free drink and plenty of food included, not to mention entertainment - and I'm not talking about the music roster...but the parade of skin and bronzer that will no doubt accompany this event. Not as cool as spying Hollywood stars at the Vanity Fair party as I did earlier this year...but just as cheesy.

If there's something I admire its original party planning in the City of Vancouver - http://www.blogger.com/www.jetsetcrew.com where you usually have to be in the know or be part of some niche group in order to experience any real cool event in the City. While Toronto basks in the glory of hosting the largest arts festival in North America this summer, www.luminato.com/ and already boasts a litany of multi-day festivals that block major streets and bring out the mulit-cultural masses, Vancouver tries to decide whether or not it should hold the Fireworks Festival again. All the while making sure noone should dare compliment the experience with a bottle of white - things might get out of hand. I remember marvelling at the mixture of precision and laissez-faire attitude that Toronto's summer festivals were run by - major streets for blocks on end closed to traffic for days...with nary a complaint - enjoyment for the whole family! And here we're applauding the addition of one more day to the Car-Free Festival on Commercial Drive! :-O Wooohooo! http://www.blogger.com/www.thedrive.ca/eventdrivefest.shtm

How the hell are we going to hold the Olympics? While New Yokers encourage the picnic-going public to bring their best bottle of pinot to the park http://www.blogger.com/www.bryantpark.org - Vancouverites are strip searched at the skytrain station before heading down to our internationally-enviable beachfront. In case you have not noticed - I like a nice beverage - and yes, my event doesn't really compare to a festival in a park...but it all relates back to summer...the freedom to enjoy your socializing outdoors - and what accompanies that better than a festive spritzer?

So, yes it is technically behind a gated archway on a manicured lawn at Gabriola Mansion on Davie Street but I am excited for my private party being held on public - or in this case a semi-public venue where you can sip cocktails to your hearts content...no one is going to 'throw one down' and if they do I'd love to see the tennis rackets swinging out against the cricket mallets!