Summer on Catalina went out with a bang the weekend of Sept. 22-24, more than 2,000 fans of the movie “Step Brothers” descended on Avalon to pay mock tribute to the fictional live-at-home 40-somethings, whose child-like antics wreak havoc on their parent’s lives in that 2008 Will Ferrell comedy classic. It was the memorable “Catalina Wine Mixer” scene from that nearly decade-old film that spawned the annual event of the same name.
Summer on Catalina went out with a bang the weekend of Sept. 22-24, more than 2,000 fans of the movie “Step Brothers” descended on Avalon to pay mock tribute to the fictional live-at-home 40-somethings, whose child-like antics wreak havoc on their parent’s lives in that 2008 Will Ferrell comedy classic. It was the memorable “Catalina Wine Mixer” scene from that nearly decade-old film that spawned the annual event of the same name.
Now in its third year, the Catalina Wine Mixer draws an eclectic mix of devoted fans for a weekend of “Step Brothers” mania. Many hotels were at capacity and restaurants were filled to overflowing during what ordinarily would be a quiet early fall weekend compared to the usual summer crowds.
When Ben Villalobos, now corporate director of special events for Catalina Island Company, found out there wasn’t a Catalina Wine Mixer when he started with the company, he took the initiative to help start one. “It’s been a great success,” said Villalobos. “It’s amazing how one obscure scene from a 10-year-old movie brings so many people out for good time.”
The Catalina Wine Mixer weekend kicked off Friday night with a trivia contest and special showing of “Step Brothers” in the Avalon Theatre, where attendees often displayed their obsession with the cult classic by reciting the film’s dialogue out loud from memory. The winner of the trivia contest received a $100 Catalina Island Company gift card.
After the movie, “Step Brothers” mania moved to Avalon Grille, where many dressed up as their favorite Step Brothers character and partied into the wee hours of the morning.
A Catalina getaway package, compliments of Catalina Island Company, was awarded to the best costume, which was chosen based on crowd approval. On Saturday and Sunday at Descanso Beach Club, Catalina Wine Mixer attendees enjoyed tacos, sliders, poke bowls, and more than a dozen wines and other beverages, while DJs and live musical acts like The Wailers performed on the Descanso Beach Club lawn.
For the third straight year, crowd favorite The Dan Band, made famous in movies like “The Hangover” and “Old School,” closed the weekend festivities with an array of comical covers of rock classics.
