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The second pseudo-annual Browncoat Ball was hosted by the San Francisco Browncoats. It was a spectacular weekend-long event that drew in 150 browncoat attendees from across the United States, Canada and Australia.
Thursday Night: Serenity on the Big Screen
Although it was not technically a part of the Browncoat Ball, the Parkway Speakeasy Theater happened to be hosting a Serenity screening the Thursday night before the ball. This made a nice lead-in to the Browncoat Ball for both the local browncoats and the out-of-town folks who flew in a few days early. The Parkway is a combination restaurant/theatre that has couches instead of just stadium seating and serves alcohol, which makes it an excellent place to watch movies.
Friday Night: An Evening at Fanty & Mingo's
The "evening at Fanty & Mingo's" meet-and-greet dinner on Friday night was held in the beautiful Chinese ballroom of the Empress of China. The dress ranged from "I just got in from the spaceport" to "behold the hotness that is me."
The ballroom was on the fifth floor of the Empress of China, above Chinatown, with bay windows looking out on Coit Tower. Dinner consisted of a variety of high quality Chinese food - the kind that makes you wish you knew how to say something nice in Mandarin. Dancing consisted of ballroom dancing to a browncoat DJ mix, as well as a few if-you-can-walk-you-can-do-this-dance dances that were taught to everyone interested in participating.
The lovely Ariyana La Fay performed an intoxicating burlesque fan dance which left the entire room speachless - until a guy dressed as Jayne broke the silence by muttering "I'll be in my bunk."
Saturday Morning - Boat Tour of the San Francisco Bay
Saturday morning we took a charter bus from the hotel to the pier, where we head out to the blue for a boat tour of the San Francisco bay. Browncoats from all over the (plus a few Canadians, Brits and Aussies) mingled in the sunshine and wind, while enjoying scenery that puts Bellerophon to shame. And did we mention the cash bar?
After the boat tour, we split into several smaller groups and scattered to explore the city. Some went back to the hotel to primp and preen for the evening's festivities, some explored the touristy shops and amazing restaurants on Pier 39 and Fisherman's Warf, and some attended the free waltz lessons we provided at the hotel.
Saturday Night - Browncoat Ball
Saturday night was the main event: the Browncoat Ball. It was a formal evening of dinner and dancing. The ballroom was on the twelfth floor, with windows looking out over the San Francisco night sky.
Dancing included waltz, polka and other ballroom dances, to the tune of a live band, Bangers & Mash. The dress code for the ball was formal (or however you define "dress to impress"), and even included some original costumes from Firefly. Guests were announced at the door as they entered the ball.
Sunday Morning - China Town Excursion
Sunday morning consisted of a guided tour of Chinatown, followed by shopping and general mischief-making. Chinatown is full of great places to eat and shops brimming with clothing and trinkets that look like they were stolen from the Firefly prop house, so you can imagine how many Kaylee and Inara fans came home with over-stuffed suitcases.
A few of the more adventurous browncoats split off on their own to check out the infamous Folsom Street Fair that just happened to be going on the same day. They haven't shared their stories with us, but they appeared to be in very good moods when they got back.
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