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On an unassuming street corner in Wat Ket, Fringe cafe and restaurant launched their Coffee Rave a year ago and the (pretty much) monthly event is going from strength to strength.
‘It started with a small crowd, maybe one or two tables of people at the first event’ manager Kay Pimmada Somthana tells us, ‘but as word spread and the months go on it's getting bigger and bigger’ she smiles.
At Time Out Chiang Mai, we are big fans of Fringe; its unpretentious and laid back atmosphere give it an effortlessly cool ambiance, only added to by the decor. Flooded with natural light, dotted with cool mix and match sofas and armchairs in the chunky space of exposed concrete, Fringe is always occupied by people socialising, working or reading, on any given visit. Throwing a party in here makes sense. It’s somewhere you want to hang out.
So what do they mean by Coffee Rave exactly?
Well their signature brews are impressive. Trust us on the ‘TiraLatte’ – as much tiramisu as it is coffee – or go big with the matcha caramel pudding if you're into the green stuff. And of course the menu features just about every regular coffee, tea and cocoa incarnation under the sun.
But do people have to stick with the caffeine programme? ‘It's up to the individual,’ Kay laughs. ‘Some people order a few coffees, others want to get a bit tipsy and order a beer or two, I'd say it's pretty equal. Everyone's here to dance.’
As we say, this cafe is perfect for a party thanks to its sprawling layout but it’s only once a month at this event that its sleek mid-century modern furniture gets moved outside to make dancefloor so the punters can get down. Five DJs from the Fringe family roster play sets of what Kay describes as ‘hard on the bass’ tracks; anything goes from hip-hop to techno as long as it gets the crowd pumping. This month’s edition sees Tonic, Jijane, Wookwook, Cuecumber and Pyong Won take the decks and play for a music loving mixed crowd.
‘The Coffee Rave is really for all ages, all genders, locals and visitors – anyone who likes to party and dance or who wants to meet new people.’
Pretty reflective of the city’s diversity, basically.
And just as everyone’s legs start to feel like jelly, 6pm sees the venue transformed back into its usual bar-restaurant form, so stick around after dancing, sink back into a sofa and order some grub, which you will have undoubtedly earned.
July 5. Free entry. Fringe, Wat Ket. From 1pm-6pm