|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
The Vizcaya Ball made a big comeback on Saturday, Nov. 20. The sold-out gala welcomed 300 guests dressed in black-and-white attire inspired by Truman Capote’s 1966 “Party of the Century.”
A staple on Miami’s social calendar, the goal-breaking event raised funds for the continued preservation of the National Historic Landmark and began the centennial celebration of Vizcaya’s formal gardens.
Guests entered the estate through elaborate floral arches, following a red carpet to the entrance of the Main House. The reception took place in the courtyard, featuring hor d’oeuvres, champagne and live jazz music in the style of Frank Sinatra. As part of the opening remarks, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava presented a proclamation in honor of Vizcaya’s garden centennial.
“The lush 10-acre Italian gardens were officially completed in 1922,” reported Ian Simpkins, Vizcaya’s senior director, Horticulture and Sustainability. “Now, 100 years later, the gardens continue to preserve local mangroves and sections of native rockland hammock while engaging Miami locals and visitors from around the world.”
Following a sumptuous three-course seated dinner, guests enjoyed a live performance by New Century Dance reminiscent of the Follies. Inspired by the spirited show, guests flocked to the dance floor to the tunes of The Valerie Tyson Band. The festivities concluded with a spectacular firework display high above the historic stone barge.
The fundraiser was co-chaired by Jenni and Joshua Coba and Christy and David Martin, and joined by the Ball Committee that includes: Guerdy Abraira, Eilah Beavers, Victor Diaz, Swanee DiMare, Roxana Garciga, Sonia Gibson, John Grisham, Carol Iacovelli, Cathy Jones, Linda Levy Goldberg, Marile Lopez, Brownwyn Miller, Carly Patterson, Ariel Penzer Milgroom, James Murphy, Tara Solomon, Elizabeth Sutton, Cammy Richards, Roy Teng, Silvia Trinidad, Josie Wang, Alexa Wolman, and Patty Zhang.
Sponsors included Terra, Republic National Distributing Company, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Miami, Funkshion, Thierry Catering and Event Design and NI Natural Inspiration furniture.
Vizcaya Museum and Gardens is a National Historic Landmark that preserves its cultural and environmental resources to engage people in connecting with the past, understanding the present and shaping the future. Built between 1914 and 1922 as the winter home of farming manufacturer James Deering, Vizcaya is one of the most intact remaining examples from this era in the United States, when the nation’s most successful entrepreneur-built estates were inspired by the stately homes of Europe.
Vizcaya features a Main House filled with a decorative art collection, 10 acres of formal gardens, a rockland hammock (native forest), mangrove shore, and a historic village that is being restored to tell Vizcaya’s full story and provide additional spaces for programs and community outreach, including those on agriculture. Vizcaya has been a community hub since it opened to the public in 1953; it welcomes 300,000 visitors annually.
Located on Biscayne Bay at 3251 S. Miami Ave., Vizcaya is open Wednesday through Monday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Closed Tuesdays, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. For more information, visit www.vizcaya.org, connect via social media, or call 305-250-9133.
