Are You Ready For It? J. Rieger partners with KC TikToker for Eras Tour pop-up ahead of Taylor Swift concert weekend
June 30, 2023 | Channa Steinmetz
Calling all the argumentative, antithetical dream Swifties — J. Rieger & Co. is welcoming Taylor Swift fans to its Electric Park Garden Bar for a pre-concert weekend celebration.
“The dedication that people have for Taylor Swift’s concert has been incredible to see,” said Sarah James, director of hospitality at J. Rieger & Co. “We love bringing together groups and businesses, and this celebration will be a lot of fun. We will be serving up a ‘Lavender Haze’ frozen cocktail, showcasing vendors, providing lots of photo opportunities and of course playing all Taylor Swift music.”
The Taylor Swift Eras pop up at Electric Park Garden Bar is set for 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday, July 6. The event is presented by J. Rieger & Co. and Rachel Kilmer — popularly known as “Rach The Realtor” on TikTok and within her real estate agency.
“I have this organic online community on TikTok, and I’m always looking for opportunities to meet them in person,” Kilmer said. “There’s a big crossover between Taylor Swift fans and the people I interact with on TikTok, so this seemed like the perfect opportunity to be able to connect with people in person. … The very first company I wanted to reach out to to co-host this event was J. Rieger. They are such an ionic business in Kansas City and have a great space.”
@rachtherealtorkc Eeeekkk!!! Can’t wait! @J. Rieger & Co. @Taylor Swift @Taylor Nation #erastour #KansasCity #Kansas #Missouri #KC ♬ Cruel Summer – Taylor Swift
Electric Park at J. Rieger & Co.
The event has been a long time coming, Kilmer said, noting that she has been working on the logistics and with the vendors for several months.
Luxxe Boutique is bringing last-minute concert outfits and friendship bracelets; Kendra Scott has jewelry to match each Taylor Swift era; Bleach Bae is selling acid-washed and tied-dyed shirts, crewnecks and bucket hats; and custom embroidery bar MiddlestWest will be available to embroider goods as well as provide some of their own.
“It’s a wide variety of vendors, and then KC Events Company is bringing in their photo booth,” Kilmer continued. “The backdrop is this awesome neon sign that says ‘In My Kansas City Era’ with ribbons in all of the different era colors.”
Attendees will have the chance to enter in a raffle to win the neon “In My Kansas City Era” sign, Kilmer added.
Speciality Lavender Haze frozen cocktail; Gardenia cocktail; and seasonal pomegranate gin and tonic
The pop-up party is free to attend, and the J. Rieger team is anticipating a packed patio, James said. The specialty Lavender Haze frozen cocktail — which features Rieger’s Vodka, lemon, blueberry and lavender — will be available from Wednesday, July 5 to Saturday, July 8.
Speciality Lavender Haze frozen cocktail; Gardenia cocktail; and seasonal pomegranate gin and tonic
“Because we are a distillery, we’re encouraging [ages] 21 and over, but we understand that Taylor Swift’s fan base extends younger; so if parents want to bring their kids, they are very welcome to,” James said. “They will have opportunities to buy cute outfits and make friendship bracelets, and we also have our [J. Rieger] food truck, which has probably one of the best chicken sandwiches I’ve ever had in my life.”
As the original distillery in Kansas City, J. Rieger makes it a priority to stay actively involved in the various groups within the community.
“We really pride ourselves on being a strong pillar in the Kansas City community,” James said. “We want to make sure we are leaning into the businesses, groups, and fan bases by providing them a fun space to gather.”
For Kilmer, the event is an opportunity to connect with other Swifties, as well as network her business to a target demographic, she said.
“I get about 40 percent of my real estate business from social media, TikTok, and I serve a lot of young, first-time homebuyers,” Kilmer noted. “Basically the Taylor Swift demographic is my demographic, so this event is also a huge marketing opportunity.”
Long story short — dress for revenge, make the friendship bracelets and the whole room is set to shimmer at the Taylor Swift Eras pop-up celebration.
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