Costume Institue Ball

Mirrored tabletops with an antique patina were set with red crystal glasses, silver, and chargers hand-painted with surrealist motifs such as lobsters, hearts, and butterflies.

According to Raúl Àvila, who has produced the benefit's decor since 2007, "surrealist whimsy" influenced his ideas for the event on Monday. In the center of the museum's Great Hall sat a custom-built, 24-foot-tall cylinder covered in white roses, with red roses inserted in a large-scale lip pattern inspired by Schiaparelli and Prada designs. A total of 40,000 roses were used in the installation.

A total of 200,000 stems of red and white roses, shipped in from Colombia and Ecuador, decorated the event. A team of 150 staffers worked to prepare the floral decor.

#2 Festival (up from #4)
The leading showcase of independent music got more international press in 2011 than ever before. Held in Union Park, the free-spirited, deliberately affordable Pitchfork Music Festival has three stages that showcase nearly 40 headline acts, including Beach House, Sleigh Bells, and Feist. Brands such as Heineken, Intel, Whole Foods, and VitaminWater are sponsors. Next: July 12-14, 2013