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    Social diary

    These 7 fall events should be in every Dallas young professional's social datebook

    Stephanie Allmon Merry
    Sep 27, 2019 | 9:18 am

    Grab those social diaries, young professionals of Dallas. It's time to fill in some dates.

    The future of Dallas philanthropy is in good hands, if the excitement about these fabulous fêtes of fall is any indication.

    From bubbly-fueled cocktail parties to high-energy galas that last well into the night, these are the seven top events every Dallas YP should plan to attend this fall.

    BubblyQ, October 3
    Charitable Dallasites have been toasting to this sparkling, must-attend event for over a decade, and it's contributed more than $1 million to cancer support and research through Young Texans Against Cancer since its inception in 2008. This year's BubblyQ, at the Ritz-Carlton Dallas, will be led by chef-chair Dean Fearing along with event chairs Leila Bergquist and Melanie Carroll. Guests will sample bites, bubbles and cocktails from the likes of Beverley’s, Bisou Bisou, The Charles, Fearings, Five Sixty, Hudson House, Imoto, Nobu, Parigi, Roxor Gin, Salum, Bullion, Jalisco Norte, and more. Eddie “Lucky” Campbell will provide craft cocktails. DJ Jose and Douglas Adams will provide the tunes, and the famous silent auction promises to have some of the hottest items of the year.

    Dallas Opera First Night Gala with After Party, October 18
    The glittering Dallas Opera First Night Gala brings together Dallas' fashion lovers and opera lovers like no other event of the year. After the final curtain call of Mozart's The Magic Flute, YPs (and any other night owls with tickets) will jet to a tent outside of the Winspear Opera House for the official After Party until about 1:30 am. Event chairs Carol and Don Glendenning plan sweets and treats by Wolfgang Puck Catering, an open bar, and dancing to Professor D. There is no separate ticket to the After Party; it’s wrapped up into the $1,000 First Night ticket that includes the reception, dinner, and After Party. But consider it a taste of what Dallas Opera has to offer for YPs. In the months following First Night, Dallas Opera will hold "young professionals night" performances of each mainstage production.

    CultureMap It's Fall Y'all Social, October 24
    Each season, CultureMap throws a can't-miss party at one of the hottest venues in Dallas. Once again we're teaming up with West Village to produce It's Fall Y'all, a chic and experiential outdoor block party for young professionals in one of Dallas' premier retail centers. Sample bites from favorite West Village restaurants; savor refreshing beverages from Patrón Tequila, Peroni Nastro Azzurro, and Topo Chico; check out fresh fall looks from the center's retailers; plus tunes, games, and more. The best part? It all benefits the North Texas Food Bank.

    Junior League of Dallas Milestones Luncheon, November 1
    If you can wrestle yourself away from work for one luncheon this season, make it this one. The featured speaker is Keri Russell, who will forever be "Felicity Porter" to many of us but was most recently on the critically acclaimed FX series The Americans, and upcoming, she will star in Star Wars: Episode IX. The Milestones Luncheon is an annual fundraiser benefiting the Junior League of Dallas Community Service Fund and recognizes the impact and achievements of its volunteers. Bess Enloe is being honored as Sustainer of the Year. Co-chairs are Alli Eagan and Connie O’Neill.

    Dallas Autumn Ball, November 8
    This high-energy, black-tie dance party is the must-attend party of fall. DAB welcomes young professionals donning their glitzy best to Hotel ZaZa for a fun night benefiting Reading Partners, which helps improve education in the city. Guests will arrive to the seventh annual event, chaired by Adam Kraus, ready to dine on heavy hors d'oeuvres, drink champagne and premium cocktails, and dance the night away to Emerald City Band and DJ Souljah. Since its inception in 2013, DAB has donated more than $200,000 to Dallas education organizations. Each year it has sold out, and it will this year, too.

    Rhapsody in Red Charity Gala, November 9
    This festive dinner and dance, taking place at Belo Mansion for the second year, gives young philanthropists a chance to support Bryan’s House, an organization that serves children who have special needs. Patrons can paint the town red — literally — as red attire is encouraged. Besides enjoying top-notch bites and sips, guests can prepare to dance to the Jordan Kahn Orchestra and bid on custom auction packages. The sold-out event raised more than $150,000 in 2018 with over 400 attendees, and event chairs Zach Sherwood, Austin Eudaly, Darian Thomas, Tara Stevenson, Molly Rasmussen, Michael Miller, Sam Mills, and Wendy Newberg are planning another night to remember.

    Dallas Millennial Gala, December 14
    The fourth annual Dallas Millennial Gala, benefiting the Millennials for STEM Foundation, is moving to the historic Statler Hotel downtown. The 2019 gala is themed “STEM, Space & Beyond.” Guests can match their fashion to the theme of the event, or just come dressed to impress: it's black-tie attire for men and formal gowns and dresses for women at this glamorous gala. The Dallas Millennial Club, founded by Christiana Yebra, Noble Madu, and Broadrick Umeh, aims to gather young professionals to be leaders, philanthropists, and influencers in the community, and raises money for underserved students pursuing S.T.E.M. education.

    Dallas Autumn Ball is the be-seen party of fall.

    Autumn Ball 2018
      
    Photo by WJNPHOTO
    Dallas Autumn Ball is the be-seen party of fall.
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    Welcome to the Dreamstate

    Dreamy DIFFA Dallas gala invites glammed-up guests into surreal soiree

    Lindsey Wilson
    May 16, 2025 | 1:30 pm
    DIFFA 2025
    Photo by Kelly Alexander
    Gabriella Monte

    We're always in favor of a gala where you can turn up wearing pajamas, but when that gala is House of DIFFA, those PJs had better be glam.

    The 2025 theme combined the eerie with the ethereal: Dreamstate, which DIFFA describes as "a surreal realm where the power of dreams fuels transformation and fantasy gives way to fearless impact."

    And this year's guests were definitely not sleeping. Along with silky, slinky, sequined pajama sets and even a bit of racy lingerie, attendees at this avant-garde fashion extravaganza interpreted the theme in myriad ways: fairy wings, lacy masks, crowns, and plenty of ballgowns, rhinestone tuxedos, and high heels (on all genders) tall enough to rival skyscrapers.

    Chaired by Payton Martin and Jacob Samson and sponsored by the Louis L. Borick Foundation, the May 3 evening began with a private VIP cocktail hour. Then the masses could descend on the Sheraton Dallas Hotel for a vibrant two hours of sipping specialty drinks, posing for photographers, and bidding on both the silent auction items and legendary jacket collection.

    DIFFA 2025Midsummer night scene in the runway show.Photo by Thomas Garza

    These custom, one-of-a-kind jackets were all created exclusively for DIFFA Dallas, and included pieces from both local and global designers. The extensive silent auction offered everything from luxury fashion and jewelry to artwork, spa services, furniture, decor, and exclusive dining and travel experiences, with all proceeds benefiting HIV/AIDS service organizations across North Texas.

    This year's beneficiaries include:

    • AIDS Interfaith Network
    • AIDS Outreach Center
    • AIDS Services of Dallas
    • AIDS Walk South Dallas
    • CAN Community Health
    • Cathedral of Hope United Church of Christ
    • Children's Medical Center ARMS Clinic
    • Cook Children's Health Foundation
    • Dallas Hope Charities
    • East Texas Cares Resource Center
    • Elevate North Texas
    • Greg Dollgener Memorial AIDS Fund
    • Health Services of North Texas
    • HELP Center for LGBT Health and Wellness
    • Legacy Cares
    • Legal Hospice of Texas
    • Open Arms, Inc. - Bryan's House
    • Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas
    • Prism Health North Texas
    • Resource Center of Dallas
    • A Sister's Gift
    • Sonya's House
    • Tarrant County Samaritan Housing
    • White Rock Friends

    A special display also showed off outfits and headgear worn by such stars as Madonna, Shania Twain, Chappel Roan, and Zoe Saldaña in music videos, photo shoots, and on the red carpet.

    When the doors of the Lone Star Ballroom were thrown open, guests quickly sought their seats so that the program and three-course dinner could commence.

    Following remarks from the co-chairs and DIFFA Dallas board chair Ken Weber, the lady herself presented the Donna Fishel Community Hero Award to Todd Bacon, pastor of White Rock Community Church and community liaison for White Rock Friends.

    For the last 30 years, White Rock Friends has been committed to the health and well-being of its community, providing hot meals on weekends (one of the first and only in DFW) and running a "general store" that supplies personal care and household cleaning products to those in need.

    Then the DIFFA board of trustees got their moment in the spotlight, with waves of applause for Jacob Samson, Brandon Bell, Rick Castillo, Jonathan Flores, Steve Lopez, Paige Westhoff, Richard Rivas, David Chadd, Jainy Selvakumar, Danny Acevedo, Rhiannon Bolen, Christi Meril, J.R. Shoman, JR Hernandez, and Eric Bright.

    Strutting the runway next were the 2025 DIFFA Dallas Style Council Ambassadors: Ashley Anderson Smith, Sonya Morfor, Bill Moore, Korey Williams, Shelle Carrig, Amy Baumann, Lisa Endicott, Clayton Nabors, Chad Collom, Deborah Bowles, Sonia Simmons, Sierre Tuthill, Kelly Wolfenberger, Kelli Seliger, Danny Cabrera, Steven Hoyl, and Abbe Fenimore.

    DIFFA 2025Booker T. Washington Senior Modeling Luxury Jacket Photo by Danny Campbell

    To introduce the recipient of the Candy Long Excellence in Fashion Award, Erykah Badu surprised the crowd in an oversized hat and floor-length black veil. She revealed the winner to be Swedish-born activist and costume designer B. Åkerlund, who has outfitted some of the world's most iconic artists such as Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, and Britney Spears.

    Comedian Dana Goldberg returned as auctioneer, leading both a spirited paddle raise and a bidding race for such elite live-auction packages as a week in Puerto Vallarta, a villa stay in Costa Rica, a South African safari for two, a colorful painting of Dolly Parton titled Born With a Good Heart by Ashley Longshore, an in-home private chef dinner for six, a jaunt to Cortana, Italy, and a romantic Turks & Caicos escape for two.

    This led into the much-anticipated fashion show, which opened with a "Diamonds Are Forever" James Bond tableau and then ran the gamut from "A Midsummer Night's Dream" to "Rhinestone Rodeo." At different points, the enraptured audience experienced dancers from Ballet North Texas, live musicians scattered across the T-shaped runway, and pajama-clad phone operators cooing to their callers. It was, as always, an over-the-top night to remember

    DIFFA Dallas' signature fundraising events continue throughout the year, with Burgers & Burgundy set for October 9 and the Holiday Wreath Collection happening in winter. The 2026 House of DIFFA will take place May 9, 2026, at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel.

    Since 1984, DIFFA has granted millions of dollars to North Texas HIV/AIDS programs by raising funds through the production of incredible events highlighting the design community. DIFFA is one of the largest and most successful fundraising organizations for HIV/AIDS nonprofit service providers and education programs within Texas, New York, California, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, and Washington.

    DIFFA is the only HIV/AIDS organization in Texas that provides non-earmarked funding exclusively to HIV/AIDS service efforts in our communities, thus providing for the direct care for persons living with HIV/AIDS. Dallas is DIFFA's largest fundraising chapter. The unique design-focused events DIFFA Dallas holds include Burgers and Burgundy, DIFFA Wreath Celebration, and House of DIFFA.

    DIFFA 2025
      

    Photo by Kelly Alexander

    Gabriella Monte

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