The pandemic has made us question: what even is fun, right now?
Often, as we all know, it’s virtual — from Zoom dates to wine tastings and even multi-day, multi-DJ dance festivals — or it can be delivered: food, wine, workout kits, you name it. Now, a new trend delivered boxes of goodies paired with virtual experiences. And these boxed-up events are more popular than ever this holiday season.
Take Pop-Up Magazine, the beloved San Francisco-based live multimedia storytelling series, which in pre-Covid times would fill historic theaters across the country. Live events like these have been some of the hardest hit by lockdown restrictions, but the magazine has tried to make it work, holding some online shows since February. Now, they’ve taken it up a level with a new format: “Issue in a Box.”
How it works: buy a ticket ($70) and get a food-centric box delivered to your house featuring a zine with a story by Hrishikesh Hirway. As you read, you can unbox your goods, including a batch of cookies, original art by Anju Shrestha, an “interactive” dish towel that’s also a menu planner, a phone number that connect you to a story told by superstar chef Samin Nosrat, and a recipe card that’s also a poem by Ada Limón. There’s no set date or time; the boxed event is to be enjoyed on your own terms, as a mixed-media experience.
“Since our audience couldn’t attend the live show, we thought we’d bring the show to our audience,” says Derek Fagerstrom, co-founder and director of special projects. “We hope people will spend time sharing and exploring the different stories, tastes, textures, and experiences we filled the box with.”
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The logic behind this pivot is clear; while big group gatherings aren’t currently allowed, brands known for their live events are attempting to break down their essence into individual, house-appropriate components.
Often, a take-home box is tied to a timed Zoom session, as is the case with the 2020 Halloween Barbie Mutilation Night by Dock’s Clock, a San Francisco bar that ran the tradition IRL before the pandemic.
Virtual tastings, in which a box of spirits and pairings is sent to your home to be consumed in the company of an expert over Zoom or Instagram Live, is another case of delivery-meets-technology. The Napa-based Sans Wine Co. is one of many to offer a shipment of food and wine pairings, tied to a Zoom session with the winemakers.
The kids can get in on it too. Local children’s theater company The Rabbit Hole is here for children who are tired of Zoom school and miss the magic of live theater. With themes like Mermaid Tales and Dream Explorers, they’re now delivering boxes to your doorstep for $55–$110 per box. One option, geared toward ages 4–8, includes craft projects for an at-home staged “show,” a character book to guide the children, video tutorials, and auto-narration. Bunny Boxes are also available for younger kids and involve reenacting a camping trip or working at an ice cream parlor.
“This is such a challenging time for kids and parents,” says The Rabbit Hole founder and director Brooke Patton. “Our mission is to provide an outlet that will totally engross kids in a world of their imagination. “Our biggest wish is that the kiddos’ final show is an opportunity to bring family and friends together and celebrate their self-expression with something they made and shared.”
If a festive performance or a cultural event can be replicated in a low-key way in the family living room, what about the feeling of dining at a hip pop-up?
Resy, the online reservation platform, just launched Resy at Home Specials, a series of cross-country, special-occasion take-out dinners for two. The first installment, a lavish six-course collaboration between the lauded San Francisco restaurant Mister Jiu’s and The Four Horsemen, a new-American wine bar in Brooklyn, ran throughout November. For $195, participants purchased and picked up the box comprising containers of food, a bottle of wine, a signature cocktail for two, and an instruction brochure. It also provided a QR code that opened a designated playlist to listen to while dining and a video with the chefs explaining the concept.
“Nothing can replace the energy of a restaurant, but we’re excited to be figuring out new ways to partner with restaurants, even if it’s not an exact replication of dining out,” says Victoria Vaynberg, chief marketing officer at Resy. “There’s a thrill and magic in dining at a great restaurant, and our hope with these collaborations is to recreate that as best we can within the comfort of your own home.”
New variations are coming soon, and it won’t be a surprise if more event companies, restaurants, and cultural venues come up with delivered events in 2021. You can argue about the trend’s effectiveness in replacing real-life happenings, as the world awaits their TBD return. But, when compared to Netflix, Zooms with friends, and walks around the block, it’s a welcome change of pace.
