web exclusive

Inside the Ballet’s 50th Anniversary Bash

Wilson Parish
blast9.18
blast9.18

Fifty has never looked better! The Houston Ballet’s milestone-anniversary season kicked off with a special celebration at the Wortham. A performance of Giselle — which was actually the show, put on by a troupe of Houston dancers in 1967, that prompted the city to explore having its own company — was followed by a seated onstage dinner. Tables, chairs and even a string quartet were nestled invitingly among set pieces; floral arrangements featuring blush, cream and hints of gold, a nod to the golden anniversary, were eye-catching. Dinner — medallions of herb-crusted beef tenderloin, walnut-filled Champagne-poached pear — was also fit for royalty. The evening, chaired by Jesse H. Jones II and honoring Lynn Wyatt for her many contributions to the Ballet over the decades, garnered more than $230,000. Encore!

Ian Casady, Marguerite Swartz, Mary Sage and Chris Coome
From Your Site Articles
Dispatches
promoted

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

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.

Keep Reading Show less
parties

With Billowing Blooms and Evocative ‘Clowns,’ Williams’ Opera Ball Celebrates $2 Million Take

Nancy Gonzalez, Denise Reyes, Christina Jack, Destiny Fernandisse (photo by Emily Jaschke)

WHEN THE GRANDE dame of Houston philanthropy steps up to chair the annual gala for one of Houston’s most elite cultural institutions, expect high elegance to abound and big bucks to roll in.

Keep Reading Show less
parties

With Olympic-Champ Keynoter, Annual Luncheon Goes for the Gold — and the Pink!

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.

Keep Reading Show less
Wellness+Giving Back