After a week of hibernation from the icy #Dallaska winter conditions, Dallas young professionals stepped into another Winter Wonderland that was far more fun: the 2026 CASAblanca casino party.
More than 400 of Dallas' most energetic, stylish, and philanthropic young adults filled the ballroom of The Adolphus Hotel in downtown Dallas on Friday, January 30 for a night of casino games, dancing, silent auctions, and more.
The first sign it was a party for the younger set? The hours: 8 pm to midnight. Some of the more "senior" galas begin gathering for cocktails two hours earlier, and wind down by the time Colbert starts his monologue.
The second sign? Ride-share was encouraged and a discount code for Alto rides was offered. This proved to be a VERY smart move by the organizers, who likely didn't anticipate that an entire downtown highway would close during their event.
As always, proceeds from this year's sold-out event - hosted by the Dallas CASA Young Professionals group - benefit Dallas CASA, which helps recruit, train, and supervise community volunteers that serve as advocates for local children in foster care.
As guests ascended the staircase of the iconic Adolphus, they were greeted by ... twinkling white Christmas trees. ("Wow, the Adolphus still has their holiday decorations up," one attendee was overheard saying. "No, it's a 'Winter Wonderland' theme," her friend corrected.)
The dazzling winterscape continued into the ballroom, where LED projections of falling snow illuminated the walls, snowflake-themed pillows decorated lounge furniture, and even the chandeliers somehow looked like they were covered in icicles.
After posing for pics at the floral photo wall step-and-repeat, guests could either start throwing down dice or sip on handcrafted espresso martinis and nibbling on passed apps. A well-crafted assemblage of silent auction items included local experiences, jewelry, decor, and even pet photography. Bidders easily could keep up all night on their phones.
Chairs Vivian Satterfield, Hayward Woodmansee, Bayley Irish, and Matthew Brown welcomed the crowd from stage. Then it was uninterrupted betting business (with fake money, of course) at the poker, blackjack, roulette, and craps tables.
Those who weren't filling the casino tables were filling the dance floor to the high-wattage sounds of The Special Edition Band.
Photo by Jim Cowsert/Grapevine Photo
Adam Webb, Samantha Penny
In between gaming and dancing, attendees fueled up on burgers and fries at one end of the ballroom, and at a chef-crafted risotto station at the other. Drinks flowed from open bars, Pinkitzel provided sweet treats, and guests even got to leave with a hot Whataburger chicken-biscuit.
CASAblanca is always one of the most-anticipated young professionals' fundraising events of the year. Dallas CASA Young Professionals is an outreach, volunteer, and fundraising arm for Dallas CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates). The group is open to anyone ages 21 to 40 who wants to make a difference in the lives of abused children.
Spotted having a great time at CASAblanca were Angie Weatherford, Tia Williams, Brooke Kronschnabel, Becca Hill, Katie Patterson, Claudia De Leon, Avery Robinson, Amber Tjaden, AJ Tjaden, Alex Conerly, Khirstyn Vu, Jenna Tran, Dani Austin, Lauren Spiwak, Olivia Bailey, Rachel Ellison, John Anderson, Brenda Anderson, Brooke Patton, Andrew Paape, Zach Webb, Vivian Satterfield, Josh Davidson, Erica Davidson, Cami Moss, Dylan McCoy, Keoshia Tillman, Cortney Tillman, David Burrows, Anupa Philip, Adrianna Bourland, Colin Bourland, Cooper Graham, Jack Howell, Paul Moreau, Carli Gogol, Nicki Stafford, Paul Stafford, Josh Davidson, Erica Davidson, Rich Armstrong, Jayne Armstrong, Jordan Jeffery, Ben Haase, Adam Webb, Samantha Penny, Bailey Hay, Luke Logan, Ansley Edwards, Matthew Brown, Kendall Bratton, Kyle Bratton, and hundreds more guests and supporters.
