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Facebook created a giant winter village in San Francisco with chainsaw ice-sculpting and frolicking elves for its 2-day holiday party
Facebook created a giant winter village in San Francisco with chainsaw ice-sculpting and frolicking elves for its 2-day holiday party
Rob PriceDec 12, 2018, 23:49 IST
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David Ramos/Getty Images
Facebook threw its annual holiday party for employees last weekend.
It was themed around a winter village, with attractions including chainsaw ice-sculpting, a "thumbs up tavern," and costumed dancers.
It's been a pretty rough year for Facebook employees, and morale dropping following multiple scandals.
Attendees shared photos of the revelry on Instagram.
Facebook employees blew off steam this weekend with a two-day party at a swanky San Francisco venue that featured a custom-built winter wonderland, chainsaw-ice-sculpting, and Christmas dancers.
On Friday and Saturday, the Silicon Valley tech giant threw its annual official holiday party for employees. This time around, it was held at the Palace of Fine Arts, and was centered around a winter village with attractions including a Facebook "thumbs up tavern," sweet shop, "toy shop," and ski chalet-like decor.
It's been a tough year for Facebook employees, with morale dropping precipitously following multiple scandals - from Cambridge Analytica to the social network's role in the spread of hate speech amid genocide in Myanmar. The company holds festive celebrations for its employees every year; in previous years it has rented out San Francisco's AT&T park, and thrown Great Gatsby-themed shindigs.
The party may have been held over two nights, but it sounds like that was for crowd control reasons rather than because it was a non-stop bacchanalian carnival - Facebook has tens of thousands of employees in the Bay Area, after all. An attendee told Business Insider that it was incredibly crowded, with queues for everything.
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COO Sheryl Sandberg was spotted there on Friday night, we're told; it's not clear if and when other senior leadership attended. But there was also a private area for execs and VIPs only, so they may have sheltered away from the crowds.
Attendees' Instagram posts provide a window into how Facebook employees let their hair down at the party. There was a life-size bear ice sculpture there, which was carved via chainsaw. (Click the arrows on the Instagram post for a video and more images.)
One of the central areas featured shipping containers and a ski-lift gondola.
The winter village street was bedecked in holiday lights and festive decorations.
Performers were dressed up in Christmas-y garb, from drumming toy soldiers to elves on shelves (or in this case, shipping containers).
Facebook created a giant winter village in San Francisco with chainsaw ice-sculpting and frolicking elves for its 2-day holiday party
Employees dressed up for the occasion too.
Facebook created a giant winter village in San Francisco with chainsaw ice-sculpting and frolicking elves for its 2-day holiday party
Parched employees could quench their thirst at a Facebook tavern, and admire the scenic mountainscape images on the walls.
The winter village included a sweet shop stuffed with candy, and walls of donuts.
Facebook created a giant winter village in San Francisco with chainsaw ice-sculpting and frolicking elves for its 2-day holiday party
Attendees seemed to have a good time. "Shout out to Mark for throwin' a rager," one wrote.
And if attendees needed a breath of fresh air, they could step outside and grab a photo in front of the Palace's stately architecture.
As you might expect, it was all very Instagrammable.
Facebook created a giant winter village in San Francisco with chainsaw ice-sculpting and frolicking elves for its 2-day holiday party
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