Published by Jeremy. Last Updated on June 27, 2024.
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Many of our local Pittsburgh museums know how to put on a good party or gala. Not only are these events a fun way for the community to enjoy a museum in a different ambiance, they also serve a valuable purpose for the museums themselves- fundraising.
Raising funds while having a great time with a few hundred new, like-minded friends? Well, it is hard to say no to that.
The North Side’s contemporary art museum, Mattress Factory, is one such museum that hosts an annual fundraiser party, and their themed Garden Party (often taking place in late spring) is an event not to miss.
We were guests of Mattress Factory to check out the 2020 Garden Party, themed MAKE/BELIEVE, and we thought we’d share a bit more about what it was like for those looking to attend the event in the future!
Mattress Factory Throws a Spectacular Garden Party
The annual 21+ fundraiser known as Garden Party is one of the top museum events of the year in Pittsburgh. So, what’s all included? Let’s break it down!
In being true to its name, the Garden Party event takes place primarily outdoors at the Mattress Factory in a tented space in the museum’s parking lot, in the garden area, and more. Three music stages were found throughout, including one in the basement exhibition area of the main museum building, plus a silent art auction, food by roughly a dozen vendors, and drinks sponsored by local producers which included Boyd & Blair, Bonafide Brewing, Penn Brewery, and more.
In a way, the food element of this party felt almost like a mini food festival as many local restaurants were bringing sample bites to enjoy with the likes of Wise County Biscuits, Butterjoint, Mayfly Market, and many, many more providing more than enough food to leave everyone completely stuffed. (And, since it is also an open bar, if you plan to indulge, arrange a designated driver or an Uber. We’re very thankful to be able to walk to the museum!)
On the museum side, the main building of the Mattress Factory was open for exploration throughout the night, and you could find many folks in costume enjoying many of the exhibits. But, as with most events, it is worth keeping in mind that the two annex buildings were not open for the party- so some museum experiences require a re-visit during conventional hours.
While all of this would come together for an epic party, it is worth highlighting that Garden Party often comes with a theme, and that means costumes! In 2024, the theme was MAKE/BELIEVE, and guests were encouraged to bring out their inner child with a whimsical costume that help make you make believe!
Of course, for us this prompt was a bit vague, but it opened up a wealth of creative ideas for attendees ranging from Pinocchio to Prince Charming and Cinderella, aliens, an array of takes on animals (jellyfish, etc.), unicorns, and one guest event attended as one of the infinity dot room mannequins!
We harnessed the power of make believe via a well-timed thrift shop visit where Angie decided to play princess dress-up as one would do in a parent’s closet as a kid and I was a fruit basket come to life.
While several guests just went for an elegant night on the town, we were really impressed with the creativity that went into the costumes. So if you’re thinking of attending a future Garden Party with a theme recommendation, lean into it. We guarantee others will be going all-out. But if you can’t, no worries there too- the mix was perfect! (Although we do recommend dressing up per the theme if you can.)
VIP or General Admission?
Before rushing to buy your ticket to the next Garden Party, the last decision you’ll need to make is whether you want to attend under a general admission ticket or VIP. As the VIP ticket generally clocks in about $250 more than a regular one, there are a few considerations you may want to keep in mind!
For attendance, VIP admission gets several perks. In the year we attended, this included 90 minutes early admission, complimentary valet, a private VIP lounge with additional cocktail bar (with different drinks than the other bars- arguably our favorites, too), and a welcome spread of appetizers to name a few.
What I love about attending events on a VIP ticket with early admission is you can plan around the crowds just a bit more. We had a couple of drinks and feasted on a bunch of food during this time, and right when general admission opened at 7 pm, we made our way into the museum to explore the exhibits while the party areas filled up with hungry/thirsty patrons. After that, we spent most of our time in the VIP lounge area and sampling bites in the main dining space.
Admittedly, we only later found out that the main party space with music stage and the dozen or so food vendors on site only opened at general admission, so the VIP hour was a bit light in that respect and was quite full by the time we got out of the museum (and we definitely overindulged on the appetizers not knowing any better!). So in a future event, we probably would’ve made a dash to the bigger food space first before heading into the museum; however, even with the general admission crowds we never had much of a wait anywhere- the planning really is that good.
Ultimately, the biggest consideration when attending Garden Party is simply this- you’re making a donation to the museum. The event is a blast at the general admission price, and those who want to go full VIP may want to take into account the fundraising element here when upgrading. Supporting local museums and a better party experience? Well, we certainly cant argue with that if both of those boxes check for you!
Overall, we’re big fans of the Garden Party event at Mattress Factory, and for those who want to party in style while helping out this great art museum, this event is truly one not to miss.
Garden Party typically takes place in late spring each year at the Mattress Factory at 500 Sampsonia Way in the North Side. We were guests of Mattress Factory for this event. As always, all opinions are our own.
