More than 100 fancily-dressed revellers were roaming downtown Vernon this past weekend for the Beaux-Arts Ball, an event that raised more than $9,000 for the Greater Vernon Cultural Centre.
The fun got underway Saturday, May 24, at the Med Restaurant where Jay LaFlamme and Denis Letourneau opened the evening with classical and opera compositions.
The ball took place under sunny Okanagan skies, but harkened back to Paris in the heyday of the Moulin Rouge.
Performers, business participants and guests each donated to the capital campaign for the $46 million Cultural Centre, which will be home to the Vernon Public Art Gallery and the Museum and Archives of Vernon once completed. The Beaux-Arts Ball's main event took place at the Elks Lodge, which is situated right next to the site where the Cultural Centre will be built starting this summer.
All celebrated the project with grassroots flare.
Cheek to Cheek Dance Studio hosted with a speakeasy. Large wall murals painted by Molly March depicting a flapper-era bar scene were the backdrop as March tended the bar in a white sequin-encrusted tailcoat and top hat. Cheek to Cheek's Lorna Robb treated attendees to a martini as they watched Iana Kyrnychna (Ukrainian) and Aleksandr Chigarev (Russian) dispel any doubts as to how the two countries at war could get along as the couple danced several hot tangos.
The streets of Vernon then brightened again as the company moved to Ratio Coffee and Pastry to hear Tanya Lipscomb in candy-coloured curls perform original songs.
Revery Architecture, the firm that has designed the Cultural Centre, graced the ball with the attendance of Stani Kokalova and Venelin Kokalov. The pair won the hearts of the crowd as they in turn picked up good vibrations during their two-day visit in which they toured sites of cultural significance and met many enthusiasts.
The Elks Lodge, built in 1920, served the event well. Its hall was given to the Cultural Centre's task force for the fundraising evening, as a handshake to its future neighbours. The 16-piece Okanagan Big Band set the tone all evening with its music.
The Lodge was decorated with art works, disco balls and twinkling lights, and was an energized venue where supporters danced while the horn section raised the roof.
Beach Radio's Brian Martin came dressed as Dr. Frank N Furter. Wearing fishnets and heels, he was the ever-witty and cheeky emcee for the evening.
All funds raised from Beaux-Arts Ball ticket sales are going towards the Cultural Centre.
More fundraising events will take place in the future as the task force has a goal of raising $5.3 million for the Cultural Centre. So far, they've raised more than one third of that amount.
