A bar in downtown Salt Lake City has been transformed into an over-the-top holiday wonderland — and on Black Friday, it will welcome revelers through its doors.
For the third year in a row, the team behind the upcoming tiki bar Remora (previously known as ACME Bar Co., and Campfire Lounge before that) is throwing its now-traditional Christmas party called Seasons Drinking. This year, though, Remora, which is set to open by early spring at 837 E. 2100 South, is joining forces with The Ruin to house the party, as the street in front of the tiki bar is torn up as part of Sugar House’s 2100 South road construction.
Rheda Fouad, owner of The Ruin at 159 S. Main St., gave Remora co-owner Sean Neves and his people free rein to deck the halls at Fouad’s bar and bring over their own drink menu for a party that will last through Christmas Eve.
Neves called such collaborations between bars “a fun way to mix the city up.”
“We’ll see people that we would never have seen at our other locations, and vice versa, hopefully,” he continued. “It’s something you see in bigger cities, but it’s pretty rare here. ... [We] want to do more and more of it.”
Making holiday magic
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Maggie Wilson decorates The Ruin for the holidays, on Monday, Nov 25, 2024.
Seasons Drinking got its start in 2022, something like a Christmas fever dream that packed ACME Bar Co. with people full of holiday spirit (and spirits).
It featured outrageously excessive Christmas decor by Kenzi Anderson, including a tinsel-covered ceiling and a wall of holiday bows packed tightly together.
And the next year’s celebration was even more.
“It became bigger than we thought it would be,” Neves said. “We wanted to be able to roll out to the community our tiki tropical drinks, and we used that as an opportunity to say ‘ta-da.’ ... We had no idea the response would be like it was, and we’re hoping to repeat a little bit of that magic with Rheda’s team [at The Ruin],” which moved from Sugar House to its current location four years ago.
This year, inspired by “our crazy 1980s Christmases,” said Neves, he again called upon the decorating talents of Anderson, whom he describes as “the closest thing to a Christmas elf in real life.” For the bar “activation” at The Ruin, Anderson designed decor that includes a 12-foot-tall skeleton wearing a Santa hat, upside-down Christmas trees hanging from the ceiling, dozens of holiday baubles and hundreds of twinkling lights.
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Katie Reuling, decorates The Ruin for the holidays, on Monday, Nov 25, 2024.
On the beverage side of things, local bartenders and pop-up pros Sam Miller and Mikey Edwards will be slinging tropical drinks, plus the staff of Ruin — led by Stefan Marsco and Katie Reuling — will be crafting classic cocktails and highballs.
In the Liars Club, The Ruin’s back “pocket bar,” patrons will be able to get holiday-themed drinks like hot toddies and eggnog, made by Adam “Scoop” Kaessner from Water Witch. Neves said Anderson will be doing some darker Christmas decor in this back area.
Chef Manny Acero — who is known in Salt Lake City for his pop-up concept Noche, and was formerly the chef at ACME Bar Co. — will be creating menu items that are easy to hold and walk around with, like potato & queso croquetas and piri piri wings.
A ‘love letter to the city’
(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) Ryan Chatelain decorates The Ruin for the holidays, on Monday, Nov 25, 2024.
Fouad said Salt Lake City’s downtown Main Street has been a bit slow to bounce back after the COVID-19 pandemic, with less daytime foot traffic because many people are still working from home, and fewer people venturing out of their homes to experience the nightlife.
“That’s why this event’s fun, because there is a another good reason to just get out during that season and engage with one another,” Fouad said.
Neves referred to Seasons Drinking as “a love letter to the city. It’s a little bit of a gift to our friends. We really put some elbow grease into the ridiculousness of it all. We hope that people have a blast.”
Starting Friday, Seasons Drinking will be open Tuesday through Sunday, from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. through Dec. 24.
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