New downtown SLO pop-up offers 4 holiday experiences: ‘Imagine Santa’s sleigh tipping over’
Looking for a new spot in downtown San Luis Obispo to celebrate the holidays?
Christmas at the Carrisa, a collaboration between San Luis Obispo distillery Rod & Hammer’s SLO Stills and Karson Butler Events at the Ah Louis Store in San Luis Obispo, offers four interactive experiences as well as a curated drink and food menu.
The holiday pop-up celebrates its grand opening at 4 p.m. Wednesday at The Carissa event venue, 36 Higuera St. in San Luis Obispo.
Rod & Hammer’s SLO Stills general manager Nick Johnson called it “a great way to give something back to the community post-COVID.”
“We really wanted to make people smile and bring some light and happiness to downtown San Luis Obispo,” he said.
According to organizers, Christmas at the Carrisa is aimed at bringing people back to downtown SLO after two years of coronavirus pandemic closures and restrictions.
“It just felt like we had two years of sort of a fade in Christmas spirit, where everyone celebrated at home and we didn’t have this community to fall back on,” Carissa co-owner Robin Cegelski said. “We wanted the community of San Luis Obispo to have somewhere to go that’s right in your own backyard that has this immersive experience.”
She and her husband, Rodney Cegelski, hope to offer more pop-ups and events in the future as they work to transform The Carrisa into a community-centered event space.
Christmas at The Carissa offers 4 holiday experiences
Amber Karson and Emily Butler, owners of Karson Butler Events, led the design of the space.
“We worked together to create four different, fun, interactive immersive zones that hope to inspire people and encourage them to come down,” Karson said.
In the Cozy Sweater Nook, guests can cuddle up next to a fireplace surrounded by sweater-knit blankets and felt ornaments.
When it comes to the Holly Jolly Hall, “imagine Santa’s sleigh tipping over,” Karson said, with giant ornaments and holiday kitsch lining the way.
The Rod and Hammer Ski Chalet has ski swings and seating lined with leathers and faux fur both inside and outside on the creekside patio.
Upstairs in the Oh What Fun Game Room, guests can find nostalgic decor — including a replica of the iconic leg lamp from classic movie “A Christmas Story” — as well as arcade games, shuffle board, pool and board games and more.
Karson said she and Butler were inspired by the Carrisa building, which formerly housed SLO Brew, as well as the holidays.
“This building itself is very special. It’s a historic building here in downtown SLO, so we wanted to honor that history,” Karson said. “It has such great bones, beautiful, large brick walls, beautiful infrastructure. It was really easy to be creative and work with the amazing foundation of this building and help show it off.”
At a soft opening for Christmas at the Carissa on Tuesday, Nick Johnson’s wife, Alex, said the pop-up reminds her of similar holiday experiences in New York City and Los Angeles she’s seen on Instagram.
Kari Torres, whose husband, Will Torres, is the chef behind the holiday-inspired menu at the pop-up, agreed.
“It’s a big city vibe in a small town,” Kari Torres said, adding that it’s exciting to be a part of something in downtown SLO that brings people together.
She and her husband owned Farmhouse Corner Market, a restaurant, organic market and catering business that closed in San Luis Obispo in January due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Food offerings at Christmas at the Carissa include bacon-wrapped dates and sticky toffee pudding. They’re paired with holiday-themed drinks such as apple cider mimosas and a gingerbread cocktail.
Jenna-Rose Penner attended Tuesday’s soft opening because she was excited to see what kind of holiday experience the space would hold.
“Cambria is a kind of a big draw (for the holidays) and I think it’s important for us to have our own thing in San Luis Obispo,” Penner said.
Penner, who lives in San Luis Obispo, said she has brought her family to downtown SLO in the past to visit Santa’s House in Mission Plaza, but struggled to find somewhere to go afterward. Christmas at the Carrisa could be the solution to that problem, she said.
“I love the ski lift, the photo ops, the festive cocktails and the amount of space they have,” Penner said. “You can bring your girlfriends, your kids and your family, there’s a lot of options.”
Christmas at the Carrisa runs Wednesday through Dec. 23. It will be open 4 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, noon to 10 p.m. Saturday and 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Sunday.
The holiday pop-up is open to the public, but can be reserved for private parties.
For more information, visit thecarrisa.com/xmas.
This story was originally published November 16, 2022 at 2:44 PM.
