Would you like an adventure now,
Or do you want your drink first?

A twist on my namesake Peter Pan‘s epic monologues is akin to my childish infatuation with theatrical setups that serve edibles and drinkables. Which brought me to the debut of Secret Summer in frosty February, titled the Aquarius Festival. Named so due to the constellation being a summer constellation in the northern hemisphere when marine life and delicacies are at the height of their best. As such, the organizers placed the event in the multi-level Foundry with an indoor, outdoor space, alarmingly fun mixology, a plethora of liquor brands alongside edibles and performances. A portion of the proceeds were donated to the New York City’s Sustainable fisheries and shellfish farms.

The candlelit trail in the ivy clad trail led to a white room mimicking the snowy trails of winter wonderland, complete with mirrors and pristine white balloons to evoke a sense of snowflakes, alongside marine wall decor to commemorate many pictures and catapult imaginations into the arctic. My arctic chic themed outfit comprised of a Noose & Monkey leopard print blazer with Balmain jeans, an Armani leopard print shirt and Giorgio Brutini boots, as I opted to compete for the snow leopard title!

The rest of the area comprised of a performance area, a greenhouse serving liquors aplenty, and aerialist and burlesque performer, and DJ Ryan Vandal‘s intoxicating beats.

My favorite cocktail was by mixologist Alex which comprised of Herradura Tequila (which, on its own, had a whimsical silver pedestal to ogle at relentlessly), called the Sea Maiden: with the silver tequila, a fruity spice combo of pomegranate cardamom, champagne vinegar to give it a salty, briny sea feel, sea salt, lime, and my favorite: garam masala! Whisking me back to a certain Punjabi root, the garnish of florals made this a drink that oscillated between pirate whimsy and seaside gala.

Other drinks of joy were the Pure Love blood orange, hibiscus and rose kombucha alongside a well tied 1888 set of rum which was as smooth as it was powerful. Perched amidst the glitter was a poet writing sonnets on personalities that she observed, as many mingled by the outdoor fireplace or gazed hypnotically at the gifted gymnast performances.

As Pan had noted, its like all of this had already happened, and was bound to happen again. The time to see art, eat art and enjoy a life well lived.

Supplementary Photos Credit: Secret Summer, Elisa Kim, Ethan Covy