The nation’s only sustainable seafood festival, Aquarius, will return to The Foundry in Long Island City on Saturday, January 25th from 8pm - 1am. Guests will be invited to partake in a boundless journey of sensory and visual imagination at this 3rd annual festival highlighting sustainable seafood and farm fresh cocktails. The Foundry will set the scene for this artic chic event. The historic venue is a fully-restored 19th century building, which boasts 3,000 sprawling square feet of space offers stunning views of the Manhattan skyline along with a gorgeous indoor Greenhouse. It will be filled with delicacies from the sea, complemented perfectly with premium wines and spirits. Aquarius 2020 is brought to you by the talented producers of Secret Summer, Tyler Hollinger of HighLife Productions, Andrew Maturana of RAPT and Allison du Val of The Foundry.
This year, Aquarius has partnered with Oceanic Global, a non-profit that engages new audiences in ocean conservation. They tap into universal passions to raise awareness for issues impacting our oceans and to provide individual and industry solutions that drive positive change. We are working with them to implement The Oceanic Standard to ensure a plastic-free event. CupZero will provide $1 cups for purchase upon entry to use throughout the festival. Return your cup to the CupZero station and get your money back. There will also be designated CupZero recycling bins throughout the space.
Guests will have the ability to purchase seafood with sustainable offerings as deep as the sea, all of which will be recommended by the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s rigorous Seafood Watch program. Festival-goers will be equipped with the latest sustainable seafood guides and have the opportunity to sample seasonal flavors by Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Executive Chef Matthew Beaudin. Hudson Square’s Houseman Restaurants Chef Ned Baldwin will offer Fisherman’s Stew and more and Mattitaco will serve farm to food truck Oysters, Tacos and Moules Frites, courtesy of Chef Justin Schwartz. Salsa Pistolero will be on hand with an assortment of refreshing salsa flavors to snack on and My/Mo Mochi Ice Cream will hand out their sweet treats. MF Events will provide a local raw bar highlighting 100% local to NYC oysters and more…
The festival will showcase and serve up cocktails from the world’s most prominent spirits brands including COÇA PURA TEQUILA, Boukman Botanical Rhum, Koval, London Essence Co., KAS Krupnikas Nolet’s Gin, MR. Black cold brew coffee liqueur, Chinola, Barrows Intense and Barrows Intense Ginger Liqueur. Q Mixers will be the official mixer, enhance the finest spirits and fresh cocktail garnishes will be provided by Square Roots, which is building a hanging Hydroponic Garden. Guests can also enjoy the Coney Island Brewing Co lounge with photo booth, and Owl's Brew Boozy Tea And Botanicals, while Polar Seltzer, Harmless Harvest Coconut Water and sparkling probiotic drinks from KeVita will be there to help keep revelers hydrated.
This one-of-a-kind immersive experience, outfitted with floral and tree arrangements by Brenton Wolf Design, will also feature a winter séance and a symbolic sacrifice to God of Aquarius, an art installation by Jimmy Carillo, outdoor fire pits and extraordinary fire breathers and aerialists. The evening will also feature a performance from the Brass Queens, the all female group that’s disrupting a male dominated genre. Guests can commemorate the magical evening with an impromptu photoshoot in the 4Five Photo Booth with fun props to kick your pictures up a notch. DJ Ryan Vandal will provide the soundtrack for the night in the Albra Room while DJ Samantha Michelle will take over the Main Hall. Who could ask for more?
LYFT encourages all to drink responsibly and will offer a discount to and from the festival by using the code AQUALYFT2020
Aquarius specialty cocktails and water are complementary to all ticket holders. Full meals will be available for purchase. Tickets begin at $95 and can be purchased by visiting: https://www.aquariusnyc.com Guests will also be invited to help save the ocean and the planet by donating $10 to Oceanic Global, AQUARIUS 2020’s official ocean conservation charity and sustainability partner.
ABOUT MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM SEAFOOD WATCH
The Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch® program helps consumers and businesses choose seafood that's fished or farmed in ways that support a healthy ocean, now and for future generations. Our recommendations indicate which seafood items are Best Choices or Good Alternatives, and which ones you should Avoid. For more information, visit https://www.seafoodwatch.org
ABOUT OCEANIC GLOBAL
Oceanic Global is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that engages new audiences in ocean conservation. We tap into universal passions to raise awareness for issues impacting our oceans and to provide individual and industry solutions that drive positive change. Read more at: www.oceanic.global.
ABOUT CUP ZERO
Cup Zero is on a mission to change the way we think about events and festivals moving towards zero waste one drink at a time. Cup Zero is a reusable cup service based in NYC. They deliver, pick up, wash, and store so you can focus on throwing a great party, without hurting the planet. Using a deposit system, cups get returned so they can be washed and sanitized for future use, keeping the venue clean, and plastic out of the oceans. To learn more, visit https://www.cupzero.com.
CHEF NED BALDWIN
Inspired by the word husmanskost, “everyday food" in Norwegian, Houseman is a neighborhood restaurant where chef Ned Baldwin serves clear-headed food that ranges from the familiar to the unexpected. http://housemanrestaurant.com/about