Party pivot

These hot-ticket Dallas society events are going virtual in September

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to dominate life in Dallas, local nonprofits are grappling with how to raise crucial funds without holding big, in-person events.

September typically marks the beginning of fall society season in the city, but the calendar is already beginning to look different this year. The Crystal Charity Ball's Ten Best Dressed Luncheon (typically the charity season kickoff) is still planning an October 22 event, while the Salvation Army Women's Auxiliary Luncheon & Fashion Show (initially set for September 15) is postponing all the way to April 6, 2021.

The September events below are pivoting to virtual presentations, and getting creative to engage patrons, from a Kentucky Derby "in a box" to intimate catered parties for fashion-show watching at home.

Genesis Annual Luncheon starring Nicole Kidman, September 2
The biggest fundraiser of the year for Genesis Women's Shelter moved from spring to fall, and now it's headed online. Thankfully, they're bringing their big star along, too. Hollywood superstar Nicole Kidman will deliver the keynote address for the virtual luncheon, which is chaired by Leigh Ann Haugh. Kidman has received an Emmy, Golden Globe, Critics Choice Award, and SAG Award for her portrayal of Celeste Wright — a seemingly perfect woman with an abusive husband — in HBO's Big Little Lies. The program begins streaming at 11:30 am September 2. Tickets, $175, are still available here. Raffle tickets, $25, may be purchased separately here. Prize packages, overseen by Nancy Gopez, include a stay in Seaside, Florida and a pearl bracelet; a ski trip to Taos, New Mexico via private jet, and more.

Turtle Creek Conservancy Day at the Races, September 5
The Kentucky Derby moved to the fall this year, and so did the popular Derby-themed fundraiser that raises funds for Turtle Creek Park. Day at the Races has been reinvented as "Derby in a Box," to take place 4:30-6 pm September 5. Participants will get a box that includes premium cocktails, a smoked salmon and cheese platter, traditional Benedictine spread and crudites, a green spray from Lizzie Bee’s Florist, festive Derby beads and prop sticks for selfies and Zoom parties, Mint Julep cups, and horse racing “wagering” ticket(s). General admission boxes ($75) and premium boxes ($125) will go on sale Monday, August 3. Then, on September 5, ticket-holders can tune in for a live broadcast from Turtle Creek Park that will include favorite elements of the annual event (think hat contest, best dressed, “wagering” on the Kentucky Derby, live streaming of the race, Scout & Cellar wine pull, and silent and live auctions). The fun new event is being chaired by Courtney Edwards and Reanae Seth, along with community chairs Leigh and Brian Danley and honorary chairs Julie and Frank Reedy. For more details and tickets, visit the website.

North Texas Giving Day, September 17
This isn't a new virtual "event," but it is the annual 18-hour online initiative that raises funds for Dallas-Fort Worth nonprofits. In 2019, $50 million was raised through more than 169,000 gifts benefiting 3,000 local nonprofits, bringing the 11-year total to over $290 million, the organizers say. Participating nonprofits include food banks, shelters, churches, parochial schools, animal rescue groups, veterans charities, arts organizations, and many more. North Texas Giving Day is presented by Communities Foundation of Texas. Registration is open now for organizations and donors. Find out more and contribute here.

KidneyTexas Runway Report Luncheon and Fashion Show, September 22
This beloved fashionistas' luncheon has gotten creative to raise money for its mission to fight kidney disease. Underwriters and sponsors at certain levels will host an intimate, private event for a small number of friends in their homes on September 22. Before the event starts, floral centerpieces and a fully catered, three-course, champagne luncheon will be delivered to their residences. At 11 am, they'll tune in to watch a virtual fashion show sponsored by Tootsies and produced by Jan Strimple, along with awards and announcements presented by emcee Scott Murray. Individuals may participate, as well; tickets begin at $350 and raffle tickets are $25 or five for $100. Sharon Ballew is the chair and Jolie Humphrey, the honorary chair, for this innovative event. Find more information here.

fundraisers galas

history in the making

Taylor Sheridan to be honored with legendary Texas award in 2027

1923 Las Vegas Premiere Screening & After Party Taylor Sheridan

Photo by David Becker/Getty Images for Paramount+

Taylor Sheridan is a 2027 recipient of the History-Making Texan Award.

Trailblazing North Texas producer, director, and screenwriter Taylor Sheridan will add a new award to his shelf in 2027. Sheridan has been named one of two recipients of the History-Making Texan Award, which the Texas State History Museum Foundation (TSHMF) will present in Austin in spring 2027.

Since 2005, the organization has honored "living Texas legends whose contributions to the state and the nation have been truly historic and exceptional in scope and nature." Past galas have recognized prominent Texas figures such as former presidents George H.W. and George W. Bush and former first ladies Barbara and Laura Bush, as well as H-E-B chairman Charles Butt, singer-songwriter and accordionist Leonardo “Flaco” Jimenéz, among others.

Joining Sheridan as the other 2027 honoree is Texas Historical Commission chairman, businessman, and philanthropist John L. Nau, III. The 2027 gala will be held at the Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin on March 2, Texas Independence Day.

"Our honorees are national leaders whose accomplishments have elevated Texas’ distinctive place on the national and international stage," said Debbie Raynor, Dinner Chair and TSHMF Trustee, in a relase. "John L. Nau, III and Taylor Sheridan have each, in very different ways, helped tell the Texas story — one through the preservation of our history and treasured places, the other through the power of storytelling that has brought Texas and the American West to audiences around the world."

Quadruple-threat filmmaker Sheridan is most widely recognized for his award-winning neo-Western TV series Yellowstone and its associated spin-offs 1883, 1923, Marshals, and Dutton Ranch. Raynor hailed Sheridan for his success in bringing a "remarkable new dimension to the way the world sees Texas and the American West."

"As a creator, writer, director, and executive producer of some of television’s most successful series, he has captured the imagination of audiences across the globe while bringing the people, landscapes, traditions and enduring spirit of the West into millions of homes," she said. "And he does more than tell the Texas story — he lives it, as a native Texan, accomplished horseman and steward of two legendary Texas ranches."

Nau is the former chairman and CEO of Silver Eagle Beverages, one of the largest Anheuser-Busch distributors in the U.S. Raynor said Nau's "commitment to preservation" extends further than his protection of Texas historic sites "to the stewardship and conservation of the land itself, including his bay area lodge in south Texas and his ranch in west Texas."

"[Nau's] leadership and lifelong dedication to history have earned him national recognition, but perhaps his greatest legacy is his determination to ensure that the stories and places that shaped Texas endure for generations to come," Raynor said.

A release estimates about 450 "business, political, and community leaders" attend the Texas Independence Day Dinner each year, and proceeds will benefit the Bullock Museum's educational programs and special projects.

The 2027 Texas Independence Day Dinner will take place March 2, 2027, at the Bullock Museum in Austin. A VIP reception will start at 6:30 pm, followed by a 7 pm reception, and 7:30 dinner and program.

Taylor Sheridan is gifting his creative archive to Texas State University.