As summer draws to a close, here's a look back at 19 ideas for catering, decor, and more from big benefits held around North America. Several of the season's events nodded to its idyllic, alfresco days with garden-theme decor, plus literal garden settings, while others offered quirky dishes such as edible pianos and mini vodka bottles with straws. Entertainment included the avant garde—think cheetahs serving samosas. Here's a look back at 19 ideas from this summer's most notable fund-raisers.
Designed by Bowman Dahl, the early June ball was inspired by the idea of a Renaissance-Italy garden in Padua. The lighting was inspired by an Italian sunset and changed throughout the evening. As guests entered the tent, the lighting was an amber hue; it slowly changed to a midnight blue over the course of the evening. Stephen Starr Events handled production and provided a menu of—naturally—Italian fare.
On June 8, the Big Bang Bash took over the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto to celebrate the opening of the "Viktor & Rolf Dolls" exhibition; the gala also marked the opening of the Luminato multidisciplinary arts festival. A conveyer belt served everything from cocktails to cupcakes to poached lobster tails. Drinks included "the Bomb," made with Ketel One vodka, elderflower cordial, and lemon; and "the V&R" was made with Bombay Sapphire Gin, Earl Grey tea syrup, lemon juice, and sparkling water.
The Watermill Center's summer benefit in the Hamptons in July had plenty of arty installations. Robert Wilson's "Stargazer Beds" offered pulley-operated planks around the main terrace for guests to be lowered backward, their eyes toward heaven.
The June 12 fund-raiser for the Garfield Park Conservatory couldn't be held at the Chicago venue because of hail damage to its roof, so organizers worked to bring the spirit of the garden-filled spot to the Museum of Contemporary Art. At the leaf-covered bar, servers infused Willa vodka cocktails with botanical elements found at the conservatory. The specialty drinks, called "Conservancy Julep" and "Alliance Elixir," were served in Mason jars.
The Chicago Botanic Garden hosted its ninth annual Summer Dinner Dance on June 21. For dinner, a tent decorated by HMR Designs created a garden-within-a-garden setting. The tent was draped in moss silk and strung with nine birdcage chandeliers. The cages, in turn, were strung with white lilies, and pillars were wrapped in trellises. At each green-silk-covered table, centerpieces held samples of the Botanic Garden's floral species, including lisianthus, garden roses, spray roses, and hydrangeas.
Benefiting Epilepsy Toronto, the Scotiabank BuskerBall on August 20 kicked off the Scotiabank BuskerFest. The Tuesday-night event at the Mattamy Athletic Centre featured avant-garde performers such as the "CandyMan." With a slick, plastic aesthetic—and surreal contact lenses to complete his look—the performer greeted guests by giving them lollipops from the concession box he carried. He moved slowly, with motions that recalled a living doll.
Coach and Friends of the High Line hosted the third annual Summer Party June 11 in New York. To give the benefit an aptly summery vibe, planner Bronson van Wyck created a vintage-inspired carnival replete with fortune-tellers, jugglers, and nostalgic games at the Chelsea Market passage. Decor included marquee lights spelling out carney-inspired phrases such as "Step Right Up."
At the Historic House Trust of New York City's Founders Award gala in June, 360 Design Events matched the decor to the theme by hanging hats in and around the tent set up at Gracie Mansion. The June 5 dinner's theme was "hats off," so the design firm used colorful ribbons to suspend dozens of straw hats from trees in the garden and the tent ceiling. And to prevent waste, guests were invited to take home the headwear as a memento of the evening.
Most events that take on a garden theme use flowers and foliage to create the kind of lush look found in such green spaces. But at a summer gala dinner and auction for the Georgiana Bruce Kirby Preparatory School, Peggy Young & Associates eschewed live plants and chose a different way to express the theme. The event management company used artificial turf throughout the Santa Cruz private school, covering the entryway and sofas, hallways, and tabletops. To add to the look in the dining room, galvanized watering cans hung over tables, with fiber optic lights mimicking water pouring out of the spouts.
Russel Simmons's Art for Life benefit took to Fairview Farms in the Hamptons on July 27 and was produced by Ronnie Davis Productions. Its idyllic theme, "Field of Dreams," came to life in whimsical decor from DN Concepts. Kites suspended over every table had colorful signs on their tails that held the names of artistic vocations such as "dancer" and "poet." The tables also had grassy centerpieces that served as anchors, as well as patchwork linens by Roberto Cavalli that were created for Art for Life.
At the Lincoln Park Zoo Ball, held at the Chicago zoo on July 12, there were thematic neckties on hand. Sponsor Paul Stuart donated ties printed with tigers, penguins, and other zoo animals. Guests could score a "fund-a-need" tie for a starting donation of $250, or up the ante based on discretion, and all proceeds benefited the zoo's maintenance.
With the theme "Mad Hot Ballet: Dangerous Love," the June 12 gala took is visual cues from Carmen. After a one-night-only performance of the ballet, a dinner reception had a Spanish theme replete with a sangria bar. The space was bathed in fittingly dramatic red lights. The event took place at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto.
Held on June 8 during the NeoCon convention in Chicago, the Diffa Chicago Believe gala had prismatic decor from Event Creative. Golden candle holders and flowers in summery hues of purple and orange popped against black linens and Lucite centerpieces. The event took place at the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel.
The Chicago art museum hosted a June 22 gala to fete its "Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity" exhibition. Event designer Bill Heffernan of HMR Design Group used a black-and-white color scheme inspired by some of the 19th-century dresses on display. "Fabrics of stripes, polka-dots, and paisley leaves ruled the decor to create a powerful fashion statement," he said. To complement the fashion-inspired setting, tables were topped with 19th-century-style wire urns set atop black-and-white hat boxes.
A rather unusual food station greeted guests at the June 15 Beastly Ball in Los Angeles. At the safari-theme event, a costumed server with cheetah-style face paint stood at the center of a table filled with samosas and ceviche. The hors d’oeuvres were donated by Centerplate, the zoo's in-house caterer; the feline server was from Vernon the Entertainer Inc.
The June 8 gala in Chicago had a James Bond theme. Drinks inspired by the vodka-swilling icon included "Skyfall" martinis and mini bottles of Kettle One, served with swirly straws. The Shedd Aquarium's in-house caterer, Sodexo, prepared the stiff sips.
The July 27 gala in Highland Park, Illinois, featured a performance from pianist Lang Lang, and the dessert from Jewell Events Catering followed thematic suit. The chocolate piano was filled with passion-fruit mousse and sliced fresh lychees, then set on a strawberry-and-mango-sauce starburst.
The Municipal Art Society of New York celebrated its centennial year this year and hosted its June 13 gala in a venue that also just turned 100: Grand Central Terminal. The event's look was inspired by the landmark structure itself, and the JFM Group LLC and Neal Matticks of Neal Matticks Design brought in tables, chairs, and linens in gold-and-white hues that complemented the building's marble accents and brass chandeliers. An amber-and-magenta lighting scheme highlighted the building's architecture, and flowers were arching sprays of white orchids that mimicked the curves of the terminal's huge curved windows.
The Gene Siskel Film Center honored Gwyneth Paltrow at its June 15 fund-raiser at the Ritz-Carlton, Chicago. Instead of simply presenting the actress with an award, the evening included an hour-long onstage Q&A session. Amanda de Cadenet, host of Lifetime TV's The Conversation and a friend of Paltrow's, hosted the discussion. Topics included female friendship, working with Matt Damon, and—of course—Iron Man.
