Happy Palentine's Day
Love isn't just about romance
It was Valentine’s Day 2011. I was a kissing booth girl in sparkly booty shorts selling kisses for charity at the Bowery Poetry Club for Diane O’Debra ❤️ My now husband paid a dollar and kissed me for the first time and undid about 20 years of hating Valentine’s Day on principal.
May 2011, Laura & Tim’s first kinda date
When we were in high school, my girlfriends and I started an anti valentine’s day tradition we called PALentine’s Day. The rules were simple: celebrate your friends and don’t spend money doing it. We would make each other handmade Valentine's notes about our friendship because we were beyond adorable.
When I opened Footlight, I wanted to keep this tradition. Despite being completely won over on the perks of having a forever valentine, hosting an event about friendship was an important tradition I wanted to continue. The first Palentine’s Day Party was in 2018 at the old Seneca spot. We made cards for each other, ate treats and watched my favorite rom com: 200 Cigarettes then had an 80’s dance party. I dressed up like Martha Plimpton, it was a whole thing.
Martha Plimpton in 200 Cigarettes, 1999
200 Cigarettes has everything you want in a rom com. An Ensemble cast of every working actor from the 90’s, characters you can really root for, great costumes and old NYC vibes. The plot is simple, it’s NYE 1981 and everyone is searching for their NYE midnight kiss. I love this movie. It’s not streaming anywhere, a dvd costs a ridiculous amount on ebay, and I happen to own the DVD. I LOVE watching people watch this movie for the first time.
So bring your friends, come join us for PALentine’s Day. This year there will be Rice Crispy Treats, Candy, Cookies, Crafts, 200 Cigarettes and after that we'll sing our hearts out with a little Karaoke hosted by our in house KJ Nora Knox of the legendary local band Crush Fund.
The Annual PALentine's Day Party:
Candy, Crafts, Karaoke, & ROMCOMS
7PM Arrive for the PALentine's Crafting Party: Crafting and collage materials will be provided courtesy of our monthly collage party which takes place every third tuesday!
7:30 Screening 200 Cigarettes
followed by Karaoke 9ish till late
Free Candy & Home baked treats!
7PM- to late 21+
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There is a very excellent photo behind the paywall from 1999, the year 200 Cigarettes was released.
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