Opera Ball Returns with Vivid Moroccan Theme, a $1.25 Million Haul and Even a Camel!

Jeff Gremillion

SOMETIMES CALLED THE mother of all galas, the always spectacular Houston Grand Opera Ball returned to the Wortham Center foyer with a roar, with a haul of $1.25 million and a rousing party. It was the event’s first time in the theater center since Hurricane Harvey and then the Covid pandemic displaced it from its longtime home. And, for many, the splendor of its colorful “Le Voyage à Marrakech” theme was worth the long wait.

Mum's the Word! Inside ‘Barrier-Free’ Summer Camp’s Million-Dollar High School Heyday

Evan W. Black

THE JOYS OF summer camp are the makings of childhood memories, and contribute to a sense of self-worth and confidence — a fact that is doubly true for those who attend Camp For All, a Houston nonprofit that runs a “barrier-free” camp for children and adults with special needs in the Hill Country town of Burton.

Travel: Art Fest Lights Up Florida’s Emerald Coast for the Perfect Weekend

Robin Barr Sussman

ART, ARCHITECTURE AND beach lovers will collide for a dose of sun, sand and play at the Digital Graffiti Festival at Alys Beach May 13-14 – and if you’ve never been to this luxury vacation getaway (just a two-hour flight from Houston) – you’re in for a treat. With its white stucco buildings, cobblestone streets and Moorish-inflected architecture, the serene town feels worlds away from the Florida Panhandle.

‘Embrace Changes,’ Says Valobra, Whose Namesake Jewelry Store Has Become a Houston Institution
How did you get to where you are today? I had little choice in the matter; I grew up being trained to become the fourth-generation jewelry designer behind my great grandfather, grandfather, and father. It was my duty to carry on the family business and continue the hard work and success they built from nothing, beginning in Torino, Italy in 1905. I was surrounded by jewelry and its craftmanship as a young child and was taught the business from a very young age.
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UPON ARRIVAL AT Maroma resort on Mexico’s Riviera Maya, a beautifully dressed attendant, briefcase and tablet in hand, ushers guests to their respective rooms. “Here’s your welcome amenity,” she says, gesturing to ceramic vessels on the coffee table with one hand as she completes the check-in process with the other. “It is tequila.”

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People + Places

THE CORINTHIAN WAS the scene for a haunted happening benefiting Children’s Museum Houston. The decidedly adult bash was filled with dark allure, gothic glamour, and generosity to the tune of $1.14 million, the second-highest total in the event’s history.

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Parties