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.

Fall Philanthropy Report: Urban Harvest Farmers Market Helps ‘Transform Food Accessibility’

What year was your organization launched? Urban Harvest’s Saturday Farmers Market started in 2004 with just seven vendors, providing an outlet for local farms, community and backyard gardeners to sell fresh produce harvested directly from their soils. Now in its 20th year, the market has grown to be one of the largest markets in Texas, supporting over 100 local farmers, ranchers, and food artisans all from within 180 miles of Houston. The market draws 3,000 customers every Saturday morning and includes many original vendors like Animal Farm, Atkinson Farms, and Wood Duck Farm.

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Debbie Festari, Ann Carl, Alicia Smith and Edward Sanchez (photo by Jacob Power)

A FABULOUSLY FASHIONABLE crowd of more than 650 turned up at the American Cancer Society’s annual Tickled Pink luncheon at the Post Oak Hotel. All wearing pink, because of course, they came to raise money for breast cancer research, and also to support some of Houston’s most generous and beloved ladies — chair Sippi Khurana and honorary chairs Leisa Holland-Nelson-Bowman, Donna Lewis, and Beth Wolff.

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Wellness+Giving Back

AHH, A TRIP to the spa. What are you thinking about now? Therapeutic aromas, relaxing music, inventive hydration... The Thompson Houston's new spa has it all, plus absolutely stellar views from its sixth-floor perch overlooking the greenest swaths of Buffalo Bayou Park.

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