Dazzlingly brilliant

Exposed frames and swags offer a clear view for a Lake Tahoe fundraiser.

Mark Twain famously described the waters of Lake Tahoe as “not merely transparent, but dazzlingly, brilliantly so.”

As that pristine clarity has decreased due to environmental factors, the League to Save Lake Tahoe has advocated for the protection and restoration of the environmental health, sustainability and scenic beauty of the Lake Tahoe Basin.

For the Fashion on the Lake fundraiser luncheon at Incline Village, Nev., benefitting the league, Camelot Party Rentals, Sparks, Nev., provided structures with their own transparency: 30-by-30-foot and 30-by-60-foot Quik-top® frames by Aztec Tents, adorned with swags that provided shade, while offering guests stunning, unobstructed views of the lake, blue sky and pine forests.

“Considering it was just fabric [swags] instead of the usual canvas, there were no wind restrictions, which was great with the summertime northern Nevada winds,” says Kimberly Beck, marketing manager at Camelot Party Rentals. “These frames had to be built higher than standard for all guests sitting underneath to be able to see the stage and models.”

Sand was the big challenge for this event. All of the sand had to be leveled before setting up tents and staging, Beck says.

“Working with sand makes setups more difficult than working on a level ground,” Beck says. “We had to double the set of stakes to prevent any accidents from occurring. Fortunately, we did this same event last year, so permitting for this location wasn’t as big of a hassle.”

The event was held on private property, with three days allowed for set up and seven hours for takedown immediately after the event. Camelot placed plywood over the property’s grass to avoid damaging it, and all equipment had to be carried across the sand.

Camelot provided the stage and runway in addition to the shade frames and the main tent, where models dressed behind the scenes. Ideas, Event Decor, and Production of San Francisco, Calif., provided event production, and Roundabout Catering & Party Rentals of Reno, Nev., provided tables, chairs, and catering services.

“The event was extremely successful, raising more than $800,000 for the foundation, and of course everything looked beautiful with Lake Tahoe as a backdrop,” Beck says.