Under a perfect evening sky, about 150 guests gathered for the CultureMap Summer Soiree hosted at The 23, a beautiful new luxury apartment high-rise in Dallas' Victory Park.
Upon arrival, partygoers excited about CultureMap's annual summer social were handed a glass of chilled bubbly and whisked up the elevator to the eighth-floor, indoor-outdoor amenity deck. There, the glistening infinity pool stretched out along the balcony and reflected nearby buildings, making for some stunning architectural photo opps. A few people even kicked off their summer wedges and dipped their toes in the cool water.
While DJ Blake Ward played upbeat party tunes outside, attendees mingled around high-top tables adorned with gorgeous seasonal blooms by Simply Elegant Dallas. They tried their luck at a giant Connect Four game and mugged for the interactive photo booth provided by the aptly named My Event Is The Bomb.
For those who preferred the comfort of air-conditioning, there was plenty of room to relax around TVs, a pool table, and a wall-mounted Scrabble board in the game room.
Bartenders from Sourced Craft Cocktails kept cups full with refreshing summer drinks from Tito's, Deep Ellum Brewing Co., Austin EastCiders, On The Rocks Cocktails, Topo Chico, and more. The two signature cocktails were the talk of the thirsty crowd — "Midnight in Victory Park," made with Tito's Vodka, homemade blackberry syrup, fresh lime juice, and sparkling water; and "Summer of 23," which mixed Casamigos Tequila with fresh grapefruit juice, fresh lime juice, simple syrup, and grapefruit sparkling water.
With spreads set up by favorite Victory Park restaurants, guests certainly did not go hungry. Noshes included flautas, ceviche nachos, and brisket nachos from Mesero; brown-rice Pangoa bowls and energy balls from Freshii; and thin-crust pizza, bruschetta, meatballs, charcuterie, and signature Chocolate Salami from Olivella's.
PopBar provided sweet relief from the heat with their famous gelato and sorbet pops; cookies-and-cream and strawberry were the most-requested flavors.
Spotted in the crowd and donning their chic summer best were Nicole Collins, Travis Reams, Andria Jackson, Valde Mar, Lauren Almand, Tiffany George, Vivien Jordan, Melanie Townsend, Vanda Ungureanu, Meghana Moya, Marilyn Flennings, Olga Nikolini, Jessica Jade, Gerald Collins, Deja Sanders, Craig Morson, Ben Yager, Tanesha Tyler, Shijen Feng, Leandra Contreras, Brittnee Lemmond, Mckennan Wright, Melissa Gray, Gayle Evans, and Stephanie Sims.
Throughout the evening, representatives of The 23 led private tours through one of the luxury apartment homes. The 1,329-square-foot, two-bedroom model was outfitted with modern amenities and luxe touches. Think quartz countertops, closets with Elfa shelving and custom lighting, and a big-as-your-first-apartment shower.
When it was time to fetch the car from valet, guests went home with fab swag bags that included restaurant gift cards and coupons, and a tasty treat — Moscow mule-flavored gummy bears, infused with Tito's, made by Sugarfina.
Gina Carpio, Emily Tamlyn
Ice skaters showed off their moves in the "Central Park" rink.Photo by Ashley Gongora
The Kilgore Rangerettes channeled the Radio City Rockettes.Photo by Ashley Gongora
Dessert included a cake that looked like a blue Tiffany box.Photo by Michael Merry