Having a Ball

The biennial Gala on the Green, celebrating a decade of Discovery Green, was tree-rific! The black-tie evening highlighted the park’s dedication to the arts and featured performances by Two Star Symphony, Archie bell, The Allen Oldies Band and others. … The Junior League of Houston’s two-night Charity Ball event raised $750,000. … Galveston’s oldest krewe, the Knights of Momus, celebrated the first weekend of Mardi Gras with its Coronation Presentation and Ball, this year adopting a “fiesta” theme. … Houston Children’s Charity’s annual gala took place at the Post Oak Hotel, where a call for donations of five handicap-accessible vans was heeded — and matched by Jana and Richard Fant. The crowd celebrated to the sounds of Styx!

Bollywood performance at ‘Green’
Bollywood performance at ‘Green’


Tony Brown, Ari Brown, and Lisette Brown at 'Knights'

Party People
Leadership in Action: John Kuykendall Traded Newcaster Dream for Success in Luxury Retail

John Kuykendall, Showroom Manager, Sub-Zero, Wolf and Cove

How did you get to where you are today? Growing up I had envisioned myself as a news anchor, living in NY and enthusiastically saying into the camera “Good Morning America!”. To this day, I am still a news/political junkie. My mother owned fur salons so specialty retail, luxury retail was in my blood through the family business. Eventually, mom shuttered the stores and I was recruited to a large specialty retailer. Over the next 30 years, I was in commissioned sales on the sales floor, became a department manager, worked my way up to buyer and store manager. Although I never became a newscaster, I did live in NYC for a few years. But Texas is home and with aging grandparents, I felt the pull to come back to my roots. A headhunter approached me. I never envisioned myself in the high-end appliance market, but there are so many similarities. Clients want a memorable experience; whether shopping for diamonds and fur or remodeling their kitchen.

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The patio at Heights & Co.

IT'S ALMOST TIME for summer vacations, but Heights & Co. is offering escapes on its newly redecorated patio in the form of wine and movie nights — no passport needed! Visit France, Italy, Greece, Spain, and more through wine pairings and tasting menus, all complemented by movies set in each location.

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Food

Ally Shell and Martijn van Koolwijk

BLAME IT ON the Moon! Mercury Chamber Orchestra’s 2025 gala at the Thompson hotel — themed “Moonlight Serenade and chaired by Ally Shell and Martijn Van Koolwijk — was a night of glamour and big band vibes, raising more than $350,000 for the company.

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Art+Culture