Leave it to Ceron, Todd Fiscus, Matthew Simon, Keith Schumann, and Tracy and Josh Madans to plan the Halloween party of the season. The Family Place's fourth annual Escapade, themed Dia de los Muertos, was "better than desired," Fiscus said. "The Day of the Dead inspiration proved to be the best outlet for costuming."
We can vouch for that. Guests took this costume thing very seriously.
We saw vampires and witches in velvet Victorian-style gowns, the Joker from The Dark Knight, skeletons, flamenco dancers, and the Hulk. Our favorite duos were Tom Hoitsma and wife Kristie Ramirez, who arrived as Big Tex on fire and a firefighter, respectively, and Mark Thomas and Craig Thibodeau, who dressed as an Andy Warhol painting and the artist himself.
The International on Turtle Creek Design Center turned out to be the perfect venue for an over-the-top and freakishly fun party. The cobweb-filled "graveyard" was a cluster of tombstones, skeletons, red-accented chandeliers and lacy banners.
Guests — including Rob Ballard, Chuck Calloway, Melissa Platt, John Bourgeois, Grant Jackson, Carolyn and Bryant Tillery, Joyce Goss, and David Krauk — dined on tacos made à la minute and sipped cocktails. For sweet and slimy treats — which Fiscus said was "the grossest and the coolest"— guests stopped at the gummy worm Ultimat Vodka bar.
"Did you know that 100 pounds of gummy worms and centipedes can soak up 12 bottles of vodka?" Fiscus asked. "Who knew you could get gob-smacked by eating worms?"
Between the silent and live auctions — one standout prize was a backyard bash with a Brinkmann grill and dinner for 23 prepared by a chef from Tillman's Roadhouse — Escapade raised thousands of dollars to support the fight against family violence.
