There’s no gatekeeping at Ley All Day. Let’s dive into everything you need to know about the Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic!
When is it?
The first Saturday in June.
Where is it?
Liberty State Park, New Jersey.*
*This event is also held in Los Angeles, CA, but this post is focusing specifically on the east coast version.
How can you attend?
There is an early access sale exclusively for American Express platinum card holders that happens about a month before the event. Note: If you purchase during the early access period, you must use an American Express card at check out to purchase your tickets. Another batch of tickets is released a few days after that to the general public. However, by the time things are open to the general public, options are limited. To ensure you’re the first to know about important dates related to ticket sales, I recommend signing up for the Veuve Clicquot listserv and becoming a Veuve Clicquot Insider. You can sign up HERE.
How old do you have to be to attend?
21+
How much does it cost?
The ticket prices range (from $150.00-$22,000) and are tiered. The more expensive the ticket, the more perks.
Since this was my first time attending, I wanted to see what it was all about and observe, so I went for the lowest price tickets, the picnic lawn. I bought tickets for me and a friend and the total was $318.00, so $18 in fees.
Now that I have experienced the event, I will likely upgrade to the Rose Garden next year. While there is a significant difference in price, once you consider the perks with the upgrade, the price difference becomes negligible. With the Rose Garden, you get on the ferry first and into the venue first (once at the venue, those of us in the picnic lawn line waited at least 20 mins to get through the second bag check-there is a bag check at the ferry terminal before boarding and the metal detectors while those in the Rose Garden line quickly went in). You also get a boxed lunch, a bottle of Veuve Rose (while I can get a bottle of Veuve at my local liquor store for $60, there is a super markup at the event and the cheapest bottle-not the Rosé was $135. The Rosé was even more), and better views of the polo match.
How do you get there?
You can’t drive directly to the venue/there is no parking near it, so you have 2 options.
- Take the ferry from Battery Park terminal and walk to the venue. It’s about a 10 minute ferry ride and then about a 15 minute walk to the venue once you arrive. You can also take a pedi cab after arrival. However, the walk honestly went by so fast that unless you are in super high heels or wearing something restrictive, I don’t think it’s worth it. I took the ferry and loved the fresh air and views.
- You can Uber to the Liberty Science Center and then shuttles will take you from there.
What can you bring?
Pre-packaged foods, non-alcoholic beverages, picnic baskets, blankets.
What can’t you bring?
Fruit like grapes, watermelon slices, etc., coolers, backpacks, and alcoholic beverages.
What should you wear?
Dress to impress. There were varying degrees of looks. Most were dressed to the nines with fancy looks you’d wear to a horse race. The minority dressed casual. It’s a unique event, so I’d suggest going with the theme and having fun with your outfit.
Ladies, avoid high/pencil heels. The event is mostly on grass, so your shoes will get dirty and heels stuck. Opt for flats, wedges, low heels, or block heels for maximum comfort/ease of getting around.
What are the food/drink options?
There are food trucks, as well as a variety of other food vendors and lots of options. I got a lobster quesadilla and a Coke for $21, so the food was reasonably priced in my opinion.
There is complimentary water at the event. For alcohol you can buy bottles or glasses of your favorite Veuve Clicquot. Your wristband has tearable pictures of a bottle and glasses on it that the cashiers will take as you purchase, so if yours are all gone, you’ll have to rely on a friend. I only got the one bottle and split it with my friend.
What else do you want to know?
There is a shop on site where you can purchase Veuve merchandise. The merchandise is pretty pricey, but I did get the big iconic umbrella and it was $80.
There are porta potties with hand washing stations with soap, water, and paper towels.
You are now armed with everything you need to know about the Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic if you want to attend. There’s more, but I don’t want to give everything away so that there are some surprises for you when you attend, but I wanted to give you what I thought were the most important details.
Make sure to join my newsletter to be the first to know when tickets for next year’s event will be on sale!
Also, don’t forget that if you’ve got a special event and need assistance with what to wear, I’d love to help you. Head to the How It Works page to learn more about my styling services! You can shop my look HERE (this is an affiliate link and I may receive a small commission if you use it).
