Take trip down rabbit hole at ‘Wonderland’ in Garfield
A Cheshire cat, pink flamingo, blue butterfly, white rabbit, chessboard and mad hatter walk into a bar.
No, really. They did.
Six friends dressed in costume to check out “Wonderland: An Immersive Adventure.” It’s the latest pop-up bar inside the Garfield hot spot Mixtape, inspired by Lewis Carroll’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” an 1865 novel written by the English author whose real name was Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (1832-98).
Commonly known as “Alice in Wonderland,” the childhood story is about a girl who falls through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world populated by peculiar anthropomorphic creatures, animals or objects with human characteristics.
Representing those characters were Pine residents Jenn Retter as the Cheshire cat, Kira Mesoraco as the flamingo, Amy Fleming as the white rabbit, Billie Higgins as the chess board and Laura Lawler as the mad hatter, along with Lindsay Kocan of Marshall, the blue butterfly.
The Crew
They stopped by the bar on Feb. 8 because they are hosting an annual gala with a similar theme for 412 Gives Back. Fleming and Higgins are co-founders of the philanthropic organization and created a committee to craft imaginative events that benefit local nonprofits.
An upcoming soiree on Jan. 11 at Fox Chapel Golf Club will be “A Mad Hatter Affair,” for the benefit of Make-A-Wish Greater Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
This year, the inaugural 412 Gives Back gala, with a Roaring ’20s theme, raised $90,000 for Make-A-Wish. This more than doubled the group’s goal and granted 18 life-changing wishes for local children with critical illnesses.
“The (2025) gala won’t be a costume party,” Lawler said. “While the dress code is still black-tie optional, guests are invited to add ‘wonderland’ inspiration to their attire. We can’t wait to see what they come up with and are expecting it to be a night of fashion.”
What drew the group to Mixtape was to research decor and ideas they possibly could implement at the gala and borrow for their event, which will feature live music, an open bar, sit-down dinner, silent auction and raffles.
“’Wonderland’ is becoming a trendy theme, and it was a coincidence to find this pop-up bar a week before we announced our Mad Hatter theme,” said Lawler. “It was fun to see how others at the bar embraced the theme.”
Queen of Hearts
The 90-minute ticketed experience at “Wonderland” takes guests down Mixtape’s version of a rabbit hole to an evening of cocktails and croquet. Guests are greeted by the Queen of Hearts, Anne Rematt, who wears a scissors necklace and ax earrings. There are plenty of hearts throughout, as a nod to the queen and the celebration of Valentine’s Day throughout February.
Guests can win prizes if they get a hole in one on a croquet putting green, using a plastic flamingo as a club, or answering trivia questions correctly about books, movies, and pop culture. There is a pin-the-grin-on-a-Cheshire-cat competition.
A ticket comes with a choice of drink: Red Pill, vodka and peach schnapps, or Blue Pill, rum and Curaçao liqueur.
Rematt, of course, recommends the Queen of Hearts cocktail, which is Blanco tequila, orange liqueur and rose water. The Alice cocktail has gin, the aperitif wine lillet, Curaçao and orange peel.
The White Rabbit contains non-dairy Horchata, a cold sweetened beverage made from ground rice or almonds, along with allspice dram, a liqueur made with rum and allspice berries, plus house-made cinnamon simple syrup and oat milk. There are wine, beer and non-alcoholic options.
The “Wonderland” décor is black and white, with a chessboard detail, mushroom “kingdom” and tea-party area. Book pages from Carroll’s story hang from the ceiling, as well as Alice’s legs, symbolizing her fall into the rabbit hole.
Mad Hatter and Hearts
Lawler said her group loved the décor, especially the chessboard wall, giant mushrooms, croquet game and dangling legs. The specialty drinks were not only on theme, but well-crafted and delicious, she said.
“The character actors, trivia scavenger hunt, playlist, décor and lighting all added to the unique experience to make it feel truly immersive,” Lawler said. “We plan to make this year’s gala bigger. We want to deliver a new, unique and imaginative theme — A Mad Hatter Affair.”
For more information about 412 Gives Back, visit 412givesback.org.
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region's diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of "A Daughter's Promise." She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
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