Wynwood was full of people celebrating the 6 year anniversary of Staten Island Talent and the 1 year anniversary of Mocktail Mart!
SI Talent facilitates events like creator mixers that platform artists from the island! They're a big advocate for supporting local artists which we love! They're in the process of creating explorestatenisland.com! Which allows creators to make an account and promote items, artwork, and merch they have for sale. Bands will be able to promote themselves as well, start listing their events and upcoming shows. If you're an artist you can sign up here!
Mocktail Mart has been dedicated to supporting and bringing awareness to the wellness and educational initiatives of the alcohol-free lifestyle. That journey has led to a collaboration with Staten Island resident and founder of the Break Free Foundation, Alexandra Nyman, who hosted a panel discussion around mental health and the road to recovery.
What stuck with me from the panel was when one of the panelists said, "Life doesn't end when you get clean." This lively and fun event was a great example of that idea where you you can be sober and still have fun.
Jonathan who's affiliated with both Mocktail Mart and Staten Island Talent shared some of his insight about the event and behind the scenes knowledge.
"Our goals aren’t to make people feel bad about still drinking. It’s to start providing these options for those who don’t know they’re out there! The more I speak about it as someone who’s sober now for 1000 days on December 5th, I think that if there were more options available like non alcoholic IPAs and gin and tonics that I was drinking 7, 8, 9 of them on a Friday night at a bar, I probably wouldn’t have drank as much."
"It was a great way to celebrate the one year, see a lot of new faces!" - Jonathan
"Collaborating with Wynwood Group and Movement Management who owns all these locations like the Hop Shoppe, Richmond Republic, District, Wynwood, Parlor, Cyprus Hall, & Fava and having non-alcoholic beverage options available at all their locations later in December is going to be a great start for the residents on the island to be able to try mocktails, beers, and wine that have no alcohol in it. We’re available to speak with anybody if they want to learn more about adding 0 proof options to their bar, restaurant, or retail locations. And we’ll help them every step of they way to get them set up with an account and onboarded to they can start carrying these things."
Tables!
There were lots of tables at the event with different vendors, raffles, and silent auctions. There was also a table with a variety of different Mocktail flavors to sample from brands like Hiyo, Lily, Sarilla, Tilden that you could try out!
I spoke with the artist who owns Mindless Pigments. She creates handmade watercolor paints with honey. She also makes ceramic paint palettes that you can use to mix watercolor on or decorate a table with as a decorative plate. She has a really cute art style which you can see in her raccoon and croissant stickers.
I also spoke with Stereotype Co. who was selling some Staten Island themed merch and hats with their logo on it. Stereotype is a company that collaborates with artists on clothing, accessories, events, and projects. They also have a blog where they interview artists.
The Parallel Lines
TPL started out the night playing some fun tunes. They played mostly original music featuring songs from their recent album called The Emo Math Rock Opera. Their vibrant energy went well with the neon magenta lights that lit the room.
Jahtiek Long
Also known by his stage name, Sir Clifton, Jahtiek performed songs from his album All The Lines In Between. He brought great vibes to the stage with his red Hawaiian shirt and catchy lyrics.
The Kidz
To finish out the night, The Kidz played some classic hits from musicians like the Beatles and theme songs from childhood TV shows like iCarly. The female fronted cover band kept the party going all night long!
Links to Check Out:
Artists: