Fortress Party 2016 Retrospective, Part 1: Carnevale de Venezia

Fortress Party 2016 was the first year that we employed a Front-of-House person, a bouncer who would check guests against a list of invitees to make sure they were on the list. 

This initiative grew out of a negative experience the prior year, when a friend of a friend of a friend showed up with more friends at 4am. Surprisingly, none of them were Kevin Bacon, but they were all quite drunk before they arrived. This wouldn't have been a problem except that they a) let a dog loose in the house, b) decided it would be a good idea to smoke in the Fort (what?), and c) picked a fight with one of our friends. 

Our bouncer dressed like this as a teaser for one our marquis rooms, Carnevale de Venezia.

This imposing arch marked the threshold to the room. The walls were decorated with customized Venetian masks which had been painted to look like Fortresses. 

Additional masks were available for guests who made a donation to the Penny Seats.

Each of these masks took about an hour to detail, which we did while watching a lot of TV in the two months leading up to the party. 

Beyond the the colonnade was a bridge over a Venetian canal. The Bridge was on loan from the local Boy Scouts chapter. (It is used for a ceremony when Webelos become full-fledged Boy Scouts!) 

And in the canal was a genuine Venetian gondola. Or at least, there was a canoe that was painted black and a mannequin in a gondolier costume. 

This was the dance party room. Every now and then, the DJ would take a break from spinning and socialize with the boatman.