Browncoat Ball - Weekend Events
The Browncoat Ball is a weekend-long experience, packed with exciting Firefly/Serenity themed events. Below you will find details on all of them.
Thursday Night: Serenity on the Big Screen
This is not technically part of the Browncoat Ball, but if you happen to be in town a little early, the Parkway Speakeasy Theater will be showing Serenity on the big screen at 9:15 Thursday night. The Parkway is a combination restaurant/theatre, that has couches instead of just stadium seating, and is an excellent place to watch movies. But tickets are only $5, so they're bound to sell out fast!
Friday Night: An Evening at Fanty & Mingo's
The meet-and-greet dinner on Friday night will be held in the beautiful Chinese ballroom of the Empress of China. The evening will be themed as an evening at Fanty & Mingo's. Dress will range from "I just got in from the spaceport" to "behold the hotness that is me".
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The ballroom is on the fifth floor of the Empress of China, above china town, with bay windows looking out on Coit Tower.
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Dinner will consist of a variety of high quality Chinese food - the kind that will make you wish you knew how to say something nice in Mandarin.
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The lovely Ariyana La Fay will be performing a live burlesque fan dance for the enjoyment of our guests.
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Ballroom dancing will be had, to a browncoat DJ mix. Previous ballroom dancing is not necessarily required, as we will be teaching a few dances as well.
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Doors open at 7:00, and dancing continues until 11:00.
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Browncoat Ball checkin will be held in suite 406 of the Marines Memorial Hotel (aka, the Blue Sun Room) from 3:00 to 6:30, and then at the Empress of China from 7:00 on.
Saturday Morning - Boat Tour of the San Francisco Bay
Saturday morning we will be taking a charter bus from the hotel to the pier, where we will head out to the blue for a boat tour of the San Francisco bay. Mingle with browncoats from all over the country (plus a few Canadians, Brits and Aussies), while enjoying scenery that puts Bellerophon to shame. And did we mention the cash bar?
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The bus will make two trips to the pier, leaving from the hotel at 9:15 and 9:45 am. You can sign up for one or the other when you check in at the Blue Sun Room (suite 406 of the Marines Memorial Hotel).
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The boat will leave the dock at Pier 41 at 10:30 am and return to dock at noon. Don't forget your cameras!
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The bus will be making one trip back to the hotel once we dock, but most of the gang will likely stick around Pier 39 and Fisherman's Wharf to have lunch, see the sights and participate in the Browncoat Ball scavenger hunt. Maps will be provided so you can make you way back to the hotel via bus or cable car. You could also spend the afternoon exploring Union Square or getting a preview of Chinatown - both only a few blocks away from the hotel.
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Happy hour will be from 4:00 to 6:00 at the Sky Room, on the top floor of the hotel.
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In the time between the boat tour and the ball, we will have an onsite professional masseuse available for hire in the Blue Sun Room, and possibly an onsite hair/makeup artist. Attendees please ask us for their contact info to schedule an appointment.
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Browncoat Ball checkin will be held in the Blue Sun Room (suite 406 of the Marines Memorial Hotel) from 9:00 am until 6:30 pm, and then in the Commandant's Ballroom from 7:00 on.
Saturday Night - Browncoat Ball
Saturday night is the main event: the Browncoat Ball. It will be a formal evening of dinner and dancing. The ballroom is on the fifteenth floor, with windows looking out over the San Francisco night sky. Dancing will include waltz, polka and other ballroom dances, to the tune of a live band. The dress code for the ball is formal (or however you define "dress to impress"), but costumes are admired, not required.
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Waltz lessons will be provided in the Commandants ballroom from 4:30-5:30.
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Doors open in the Commandant's Ballroom at 6:00 for pre-ball hors d'oevres. (No horses were harmed in the making of these "horse dovers".)
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Attendees will be announced upon entry to the ball, per their discretion.
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Dinner will be served at 7:00. The menu will include your choice of a grilled vegetarian lasagna or a grilled chicken breast with prosciutto mushroom sauce, and a variety of decadent side dishes in a buffet setting. A cash bar will be available.
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Dancing will be to the tunes a live band, Bangers & Mash, and will continue until 11:00.
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After the main ball ends, guests are welcome to retire to the Sky Room for nightcaps, to the Blue Sun Room for mellow entertainment, or to join us at a nightclub called Swig, were we have a private room booked and intend to shake down the remainder of the evening to a considerably more modern funk.
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Be sure to eat before you start drinking, and drink plenty of water. Asprin will be available in the Blue Sun Room in the morning, but we will make fun of you profusely if you are hung over. :-)
Sunday Morning - China Town Excursion
Sunday will be 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 (Inara and Kaylee fans should be sure to bring some spending money!).
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We will be leading two guided tours, at 11:00 am and 1:30 pm. You can sign up for one or the other when you check in at the Blue Sun Room.
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If you're still not satisfied after exploring Chinatown and want to explore another side of San Francisco's culture, this also happens to be the weekend of the infamous Folsom Street Fair. This is not officially included in the Browncoat Ball, and you will need to take a cab to get there, but it is quite an experience for those of you who have not yet been.
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