Glitter, bubbles, prizes. Party at Bikini Bottom cosplay event in Pembroke Pines
.jpg "Jellyfish Electric Y2K Rave takes place Saturday, Feb. 21, from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. at Baoshi Food Hall + Bar, 8525 Pines Blvd.")
Need a reason to dress up or bust a move? A cosplay dance party coming soon to a popular Pembroke Pines market will give you just the occasion to do so.
Baoshi Food Hall + Bar — 8525 Pines Blvd. — hosts the Jellyfish Electric Y2K Rave on Saturday, Feb. 21, alongside female-led events collective Kitty Pop, promising prizes, performances and partying under the sea.
The 18+ dance party, themed after the fictional world of Bikini Bottom — home of Nickelodeon’s “SpongeBob SquarePants” — runs from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. and kicks off with a series of live DJ performances, including musicians Dusty Fae the Changeling, DJ Hautecore and Lord Juno the Mighty.
When the clock strikes midnight, attendees will strut down a glitter blue carpet and show off their cosplay ensembles for the “Sea to Slay” contest, which will determine the event’s “Best Dressed Under the Sea,” and a “Riptide Dance Off.”
Costumes will be judged on styling, creativity and stage presence, say the rave’s organizers, and the dance contest’s criteria include freestyle, solo and knockout rounds.
Winners will be awarded a $75 gift card to Tate’s Comics + Toys + More in Lauderhill courtesy of OtakuFest, the South Florida anime festival sponsoring the event.
Partygoers are encouraged to pull out all the stops save for a few costume restrictions: no oversized props larger than a foot or prop weapons — guns, knives, bats, swords or staffs — are allowed to keep crowds safe and easily navigable. Glow sticks, hand fans, bubble guns and LED accessories are permitted.
Those who don’t take home prizes can still enjoy a professional, blue carpet photograph of their outfit by Ghost, the rave’s resident cosplay convention photographer.
Also slated for the ocean-themed party are hanging bubble installations and bubble guns firing all night, festive fare — including the cheekily-named Chum Shot — and a clam-shaped pool selfie spot named the “pearl lagoon.”
Admission to the event is free with RSVP for those planning to attend before 10 p.m. and forgo re-entry. For access to the party at any hour — including re-entry — a $10 ticket is available online and a $15 ticket will be available at the door.
