The Big Christmas Wonderland Party

Autumn may only just be arriving but preparations for Christmas are already underway with Stone & Leather at least. Organisers of the biggest elite events for expats, the details for their Christmas event, The Big Christmas Wonderland Party, have just been released. The woman behind it and all their other events, Vanessa Welsby, is evidently excited as she lists the many different factors that will hopefully make this year’s party the best yet.

“It’s going to be a Christmas Wonderland theme with cocktail bars and fun competitions,” says Vanessa. “Instead of pin the tail on the donkey we’re going to have pin the tail on the Jelínek deer and a very first in the country, an ‘extreme’ food tasting competition (not for the faint-hearted) and of course our favourite ‘American Barber’ Santa Claus will be there with his sexy Mrs. Claus.”

The event takes place on Tuesday 17th December by which time the weather will undoubtedly have taken a turn for the colder to match the icy theme running through the evening. Doors open at 6.30pm for a 7pm start.

“There will be up to three entrances this time, to give quicker entry” Vanessa continues. “With welcome drinks served in ice glasses, hopefully an ice bar and the prize for the tombola is 100kg of ice cubes provided by Party LED, one of the sponsors. The 100kg of ice is collected in smaller bags but it means you will never be short of ice at your private parties again. The hostesses will all be dressed in an ice style and guests are encouraged to dress up along the lines of the same theme, however that may be.”

Cigars and various alcohol tastings will also be available on the night, but with all the other partner attractions it may not seem necessary. DJ Frank will be playing and Václav Chalupa the Czech Olympic rower will be there to help those of you in need of a little movement. There is a bomb shelter below that was used during communist times for meetings, and guests will be able to have a tour round them, about ten people at a time.”

This is the fourth Christmas party Vanessa has organised through Stone & Leather, but unlike the previous three it will be taking place at Como restaurant, not Hard Rock Cafe. Como is still in a central location and has some advantages over the usual destination, those being that it is able to fit in 850 people and that the party can go on longer, until 3am rather than midnight that Hard Rock Cafe is restricted to.

Vanessa herself has lived in Prague for 20 years now and first came over from England by herself when she was just four months old, handed over to the stewardess to look after on the plane before being passed over to her grandparents at the other end. Obviously this was before all the security fears but since returning to live in the early 1990s she’s set up Stone & Leather as a subsidiary of Ze-Brand Consultants, and has been involved in the expat community for years (although her mother is actually Czech).

The Big Christmas Wonderland Party promises to be just like its name says, with tickets going on sale soon. Stone & Leather members will have first priority to acquire tickets for the member price of 750 CZK. Then the first 100 public tickets will be released at a special price of 990 CZK before they go up to 1,250 CZK. All tickets include all the food, beer, wine and non-alcoholic drinks.

A full and updated itinery can be found at www.stoneleather.com