Alcohol and SpongeBob enthusiasts alike gathered under the sea at Roxxy on Saturday night to rave with the Nickelodeon gang. In an interesting turn of events, Iowa City has been host to many themed rave events — usually at Gabe’s and occasionally featuring Shrek.
But on Saturday, just as seniors hit their second bar crawl wind, Roxxy opened its doors to Sponge-fanatics.
“My friend told me about the rave and said I should make a Gary the snail costume, so I did,” Illy Hoekstra said. “I love SpongeBob. He is my king.”
Many of the ravers showed up in normal going-out attire, but a few acquired — or in Hoekstra’s case made their own — costumes for the themed event. Roxxy also sold shirts for the attendees as a keepsake to always remember their SpongeBob raving night.
To help transport people and get everyone in the groovy mood, Roxxy decorated their rock-themed bar to the nines with all things sea and sponge. With psychedelic lights, themed decor featuring famous locations and characters from the famous cartoon show, and picture frames that rotated photos from the show to help immerse people in the experience, it was no wonder the event drew such crowds.
“I love the décor. I love that they keep changing the photos on the electric screens, and I love that people came in blow-up costumes. Everyone is really feeling it,” attendee Heather Cassin said.
Earlier in the day, the Senior Bar Crawl kept Roxxy dead for most of the day. When the sun started to go down, and the show’s familiar tunes mixed with your typical bar-EDM music started to play, crowds began to pile into the bar to relive their childhoods with a fun twist that made what may be a normal bar experience different and unique.
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The staff at the bar were especially amazing, as well as the cartoon fans, playing into the fun and goofy nature of the night and making sure they all curated a space of fun and play for everyone who stepped into the bar.
“I’ve literally never been here before, but it’s fire. There is SpongeBob everywhere, and that’s exactly what I’m looking for,” Hoekstra said.
The general consensus among the ravers was Roxxy did a great job providing a night to be remembered for Sponge fanatics and bar crawlers alike. A lot of the people had either never been to Roxxy or never been to a rave before, so they didn’t know what to expect, but the bar delivered.
From the decor to the costumes to the wonderful staff, the SpongeBob rave at Roxxy was a psychedelic, goofy time full of goobers who just wanted to enjoy a fun theme with some adult drinks.