EDITOR’S NOTE: Chillounge announced on Wednesday that it would be moving from Friday, March 27 to Saturday, March 28 due to inclement weather.
CHILLOUNGE: CIRQUE DU CHILL
7 p.m. Saturday, March 28; Selby Gardens, 900 S. Palm Ave., Sarasota; $25 advance, $40 day of event; chilloungenight.com
After six years on Palm Avenue in downtown Sarasota, last year Chillounge moved to ... a parking lot, outside Southgate Mall.
“It was a nice event. We had more space for the catwalk, fireworks from the roof,” said Chillounge founder and organizer Rainer Scheer. “But, people didn’t like it.”
This year Chillounge will take over the grounds of the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, adding pockets of decadent lounge furniture, live bands, a fashion show, food, drink and a host of locals dressed up for a serious party. And, something new.
“After 7 years I had to find a way to do something new,” said Scheer. He immediately thought about Sarasota’s rich circus tradition, but the usual circus presentation just didn’t fit with Chillounge’s high-end, outdoor setting.
“Usually, they’re inside, in a tent. We had to find a unique way to introduce circus elements into Chillounge.”
The result – called Cirque du Chill – was a success at Chillounge’s St. Petersburg event in November, which brought together world-renowned circus acts to perform at the party, popping up throughout the evening to the delight of the guests. Or, in the case of the AeroSphere aerialists, showcasing serious feats of strength, dexterity and elegance while floating serenely overhead, suspended from a massive helium balloon.
You’ll also see AeroSphere at this Friday’s Sarasota Chillounge, along with the Joseph Dominic Bauer Wheel of Destiny, gymnastic Duo Romanesc, Nock Productions’ sway poles, the seemingly creepy Vladimir The Mystery Juggler, Chucko the Clown, Miss Gena, Ayda’s Cube and other circus acts. There will even be aerialists in the gardens’ beautiful banyan trees.
There are plenty of locals on display as well. Back for the eighth year is the Ana Molinari fashion show, as well as a performance by local magician Gypsy Allure. Chillounge house band The Black Honkeys from Tampa will be on stage, fire jugglers will try to avoid singeing the plants, Phoebe Vecchioni from Phoebe’s Samba Team will strut her stuff, and more.
With so much going on at Chillounge, it would be easy to miss something. To solve this, and appeal to partygoers’ voyeuristic impulses, Scheer has set up three massive screens around the event, fed with live video from four circulating camera people.
Though Selby Gardens is a unique setting for Chillounge – and a definite upgrade from last year’s home – it does come with some disadvantages. On-site parking is reserved for VIP ticket holders, but Scheer will have three trolleys shuttling people from downtown Sarasota – in front of Epicure and Jolly on Palm Avenue, near the Palm Avenue Garage – running every five minutes.
For a certain segment of Sarasota – the people who spend a lot of time at charity events and galas – Chillounge offers something even better: No silent auction. No urgent appeals to your generous spirit.
Just a big, decadent party, no strings attached.
