2022 Holiday Sock Hop

[BardGallant]

Winterfest is underway and with it comes an excuse to party! Come on out to the Governor's Mansion on Wednesday, December the 21st, and join Governor Driscol in kicking off the start of the season on the Winter Solstice in style. This year the Greater Government of Rhy'Din is pleased to present:

The Rhy'Din City 2022
Holiday Sock Hop

Deck yourselves out in your finest Terran 1950s attire and lace up your dancing shoes. The Rhy'Din Academy of Fine Arts (RAFA) has graciously lent the services of DJ Rocka Billie, who will be spinning the vinyl consisting of vintage holiday hits. You won't have to sully your sneakers to get there, as the good boys at Classic Customs and apprentices of Etude have volunteered to ferry the fine folks of Rhy'Din to and from this event. Passengers will ride in luxury in the back bucket seats of a variety of dressed up retro convertibles.

Come hungry! This event will be catered with classic 50s diner fare, courtesy of the culinary students at Fifties Follies, part of the fabled Sarengrave House. There will be burgers, fries, dogs, and shakes aplenty! Vegetarian and vegan options will also be available for the non-carnivorous citizens of the city. Dozens of delectable desserts will also be available to satisfy your sweet tooth, provided by Ariana's Divine Delights Bakery and Kitten's Confections Bakery & Café. A large assortment of alcoholic beverages for adults will also be available at a cash bar. All proceeds of which will be donated to local charities in an effort to provide food, clothing, and housing for the less fortunate citizens of the city this holiday season.

But wait! That's not all! Every person who attends the sock hop will go home with a free gift if they desire! Children may choose their favorite toy from a large selection of unwrapped options provided by the Governor's Office. Adults can opt to go home with a swag bag full of goodies generously donated by local Rhy'Din Businesses*. Stay as long as you like and dance the night away. The Governor's Mansion will be open to the public with plenty of sleeping spaces available to anyone who is too tired to shuffle on home. A portal will be open to Governor's Driscol's Number Eleven Gloaming District mansion as well.

Happy holidays from the Greater Government of Rhy'Din and Governor Sheridan "Dris" Driscol! We can't wait to see you there!

(( This will be a board and live event using the #streets-of-rhydin channel beginning at 8:00 PM Eastern Time on Wednesday, December 21, 2022, and it is open to everyone. Can't make it in person? We understand! Finding a day and time to do this proved difficult with the way the holidays fall this year. Please feel free to post in this thread. Anything as simple as writing your character was there with a picture of an outfit will do. Though 50s themed attire is not required for attending this event, it is definitely encouraged. Need help designing an era-appropriate outfit? Check out this article on How to Dress for a 50s Sock Hop. Here is our suggested holiday playlist for what NPC DJ Rocka Billie will be spinning: 1950's Vintage Christmas albums mix (1955-1958).

* Please contact me on Discord at user name Ampersand#9471, or private message me here on the forums, if you wish to have your character's business featured with a small item that will be included in the event swag bag. I will post the details of this and any possible additional fun Easter eggs after the event has concluded. Have an idea on how to get involved that isn't specifically detailed here? Please do not hesitate to contact me; I'd be happy to discuss the possibilities.

Tremendous thanks for helping with the organization of this event go out to Partly Cloudy / Rhys Germain, PrlUnicorn / Mairead Harker, Rachael Blackthorne, and Ariana MacGyldren. Happy holidays! We hope you enjoy! ))

[Partly Cloudy]

Catering for the Holiday Sock Hop is provided by Fifties Follies Diner, Ariana’s Divine Delights Bakery, and Kitten’s Confections Bakery & Café.

CHEESEBURGERS
single or double; all beef or veg beef patties with cheddar, Swiss, or vegan cheese
plus all the trimmings like lettuce, tomato, pickles, and guests’ preferred condiments

PATTY MELTS
two all beef or veg beef patties on thick-cut sourdough toast
with cheddar, Swiss cheese, and caramelized onions, plus sliced pickles and special sauce

CHICKEN MELTS
thin grilled chicken breast cutlets on thick-cut sourdough toast
with bacon, cheddar, and Swiss cheese, plus sliced tomato and special sauce

ROASTED HOT DOGS
oven-roasted all beef or veg beef franks on steamed buns
served with all the trimmings, such as relish and diced onions, and optional chili and cheese sauces

CHICKEN FINGERS
fried breast meat tenders with a crunchy batter
served with a variety of dipping sauces, including honey mustard and bbq sauce

FRENCH FRIES
served with a variety of dipping sauces, plus optional chili and cheese sauces

ONION RINGS
served with a variety of dipping sauces, including zesty horseradish sauce

COLESLAW
shredded green and purple cabbage and carrots, with a slightly sweet mayo-based dressing

MAC ’N’ CHEESE
tender elbow macaroni in a sauce made with sharp cheddar, smoked gouda, and provolone

HOUSE SALAD
romaine lettuce with diced cucumber, shredded carrot, cherry tomatoes, sliced red onion, and sourdough croutons
served with guests’ choice of dressings, including thousand island, ranch, and more

DESSERT SHAKES

• Holiday Cookie: vanilla ice cream blended with crushed sugar cookies, decorated with red white chocolate sauce (inside the glass), and topped with whipped cream, holiday sprinkles, and an iced sugar cookie
• Peppermint Oreo: chocolate ice cream blended with peppermint syrup and crushed chocolate sandwich cookies, decorated with dark chocolate sauce (inside the glass), and topped with whipped cream, dark chocolate sauce, and a chocolate sandwich cookie filled with peppermint buttercream
• Gingerbread Caramel: vanilla ice cream blended with caramel sauce and crushed gingerbread cookies, decorated with caramel sauce (inside the glass), and topped with whipped cream, more caramel sauce, and a gingerbread person
• Red Velvet Cupcake: vanilla ice cream blended with a red velvet cupcake and cream cheese frosting, decorated with chocolate sauce (inside the glass), and topped with whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and a miniature red velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting

MILKSHAKES
in vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, mint-chip, and creamsicle (orange-vanilla) flavors

CHOCOLATE PECAN CINNAMON ROLLS
filled with brown sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, and crushed pecans

RED VELVET CUPCAKES
topped with rich cream cheese frosting

CRANBERRY WHITE CHOCOLATE BLONDIES
made with white chocolate chips, brown sugar, and fresh cranberries

HOLIDAY COOKIES
peppermint bark macarons, iced sugar cookies, gingerbread cookies, snickerdoodles, chocolate shortbread cookies, and more



In addition to the milkshakes listed above, there will be sodas, iced tea, coffee, and other beverages available. And as previously mentioned, there will be a cash bar on site for guests who are of age and would like to imbibe in cocktails, wine, and more.

Happy Holidays, everyone! Enjoy!

[Mairead Harker]

A holiday tree sits near a corner of the ballroom in the Governor's Mansion. Guests are encouraged to bring an unwrapped new toy or clothing item appropriate for a child from birth to 17 years. Please leave donations under the holiday tree for collection by the Minister of Children's Services. Maggie Harker and her assistants from Harker's Academy and Dragon's Gate Dueling Sword School will be wrapping the items for delivery to children in need. Those wishing to volunteer to help with distributing gifts and/or take on the role of Santa or another appropriate entity are asked to contact the Minister of Children's Services. As well as home visits, the stops will include orphanages and the pediatric wards of Rhydin's hospitals.

[Reign]

Reign made an appearance for however long her attention span could spare it. Rather than don the customary poodle skirt and sweater, she went for the greaser vibe in black denim, a leather jacket, a white tee, and red and black accent pieces. Left beneath the gift tree were three boxes of comparable size, each with a different dress up kit (doctor, ballet dancer, firefighter).

[Mairead Harker]

Maggie's gear for the night was borrowed from the Shanachie Theater's wardrobe and props depts.

[Doran Ilnaren]

Sylva and Doran arrved fashionably late and well-fashioned.

[BardGallant]

Governor Dris went with the jock look for the night. He happily flitted around the dance floor, taking turns with anyone in need or want of a partner, long into the night. Of course he spent most of his time in Rhys' company, and by the end of it all he disappeared with his man, just as anyone might expect.



The Irish wolfhound Gussie and her baby grown up brother, Irish setter Tommy, were roaming the mansion, available for petting and spoiling, cuddles and photo opportunities, all night, too.

[Rhys Germain]

Rhys went with greaser fashion for the evening, which likely surprised no one given his penchant for leather and denim.



Barring the periods when he was enjoying a drink or a vegetarian patty melt, or dadding the dogs, he spent most of his time on the dance floor. Much of his dance card was, of course, filled by his wonderful partner, Dris, but he was also happy to take a few turns with anyone else who wanted to dance with him and even tried to encourage some of the quieter guest to cut loose with him. Especially after he convinced DJ Rocka Billie to put on some Christmas-themed rock ’n’ roll.

[BardGallant]

2022 Holiday Sock Hop Swag Bag


Every adult who attended the 2022 Holiday Sock Hop went home,
if they so desired, with a gift bag containing the following items:

• A fae and shifter safe metal harmonica with the Etude logo stamped on it.
• A gift certificate for a dozen mini cinnamon rolls from Ariana’s Divine Delights Bakery.
• A special edition holiday macaron sampler pack from Kitten’s Confections Bakery & Café, chocolate and vanilla bean flavors.
• A certificate for a free game of cosmic bowling for up to 8 at the Arcade, and a buy 1 get 1 item 50% off coupon at the Gift Shop from the Duel of Swords Staff.
• A pair of warm winter mittens courtesy of the Seaside Surf/Snow Shop owned by Baron of Seaside Droet the Bold.
• A Lucky Sock bracelet charm in hypoallergenic titanium from The Lucky Rabbit of the Twilight Market.
• A mini booklet (History of the Hop - How the sock hop became an interrealm phenomenon) from EJ’s Speciality Books of the Twilight Market.
• Frosted mismatched pair of sock cookies from Sweet Cheeks Bakery of the Twilight Market.
• Potion of Past Viewing from Havenmourne Alchemics of the Twilight Market: 1950's Americana (a potion that allows the drinker to experience life in 1950's America for 1 hour, cannot impact or change time/history).
• Voucher for one free 4 pack of tacos from Twilight Tacos.
• Coupon for 1 free slush or sundae at Supersonic of the Twilight Market.
• One 10 silver noble gift card for JUSCO of Kabuki Street.
• One single Bell of Aske: These old silver sleigh bells appear at first not to work. When shaken, they produce no sound. However, if used on a cold winter night, a giant reindeer made of moonlight will manifest and bear you to your destination. These items were enchanted by Mallory and a Sami shaman at the Lyceum.
• A voucher for 10% off any massage treatment at the Whitedown Retreat.
• An Endless Nights Cafe coffee mug containing three sampler Darjeeling tea flushes.
• A sampler selection of holiday cordials from Gardenhome Orchards.
• A special edition miniature snowglobe from Shining Star Glassworks.
• A small set of festive windchimes from Lemnos Craftworks.
• Apple-cinnamon and raspberry flavored sample mini strudels from Bak’d.
• A warming stone pendant that will keep its wearer toasty and warm when kept on their person courtesy of the Duel of Magic Staff.
• A gift certificate for Incredible Edibles.
• A gift certificate to Nicole’s Bistro and Pizzeria good for lunch or dinner for two including dessert and non alcoholic drinks.
• A gift certificate to Colleen’s Eclectic Collection of Twilight Market good for one box of tea, choice of loose tea or bags.
• A small sampler packet of candied bacon twists from The Matadero Carnicería.
• A diamond tennis chain style bracelet from the Duel of Fists Staff. If the person who gets it doesn't fancy it, they can pawn it for a good price.

(( Once again, I owe a tremendous amount of thanks to the writers of Mairead Harker, Rachael Blackthorne, Ariana MacGyldren, PrlUnicorn, Rhys Germain, and Partly Cloudy for helping me put together and run this year's winter shindig. Additional thanks go out to the writers of all the above mentioned character businesses. Thank you for providing me with images and write-ups, and allowing me to feature your imaginary places in our event.

Did you miss the live event? It's not too late to participate! All you have to do is post a little something below that says your character(s) attended. If you're struggling to come up with an outfit, remember that dressing to theme is not required. Feel free to use this as your opportunity to earn the Spread a Little Cheer achievement. We hope you have a happy holiday season! ))

[Jordan]

She may not be on theme, but she tried her best to have fun. Jordan used this opportunity to get to know a little more about the city, along with what a sock hop is hopefully by one of the volunteers! Even little Chuu made an appearance and ate one of the all beef roasted hot dogs, though it made a mess of itself while doing so.