Expedition d’ Elegance

Dallas Crystal Charity Ball 2025 takes elegant expedition to South of France

Attendees of the 2025 Crystal Charity Ball were promised an Expedition d’ Elegance, and indeed, Dallas’ grand dame gala delivered a night of globe-trotting glamour.

Ball chair Mary Martha Pickens selected the jet-setting theme to reflect her love of world travel, but waited to reveal the final port of call until the doors opened.

As always, Crystal Charity Ball's true “destinations” remain the local children’s nonprofits that will benefit from the millions of dollars raised by the organization.

Courtesy photo

Maggie Kipp in Carolina Herrera and Stacey Walker in Roland Nivelais - both gowns purchased at the Salvation Army Fashion Show & Luncheon.

Doormen in white tie and top hats greeted 1,540 guests as they strolled into the Hilton Anatole on Saturday, December 6.

Crystal Charity Ball 2025 The central foyer was transformed into a South-of-France villa, and harpists played on terraces.Photo by Ashley Gongora

Hanging wisteria and small fields of sunflowers colored the landscape of Pickens' final destination choice - the South of France, said to be her favorite place to travel. The hotel's central foyer had been transformed into a colorful seaside villa, complete with harpists from the Octavia Harp Ensemble serenading on terraces.

Tres magnifique.

After posing for professional portraits by James French Photography and showing off their 'fits for the NorthPark Fashion Cam, guests grabbed glasses of wine or hand-crafted cocktails and noshed on salumi boats, artisan cheese cones, and jumbo shrimp at the Corient /Thoele Family Cocktail Reception.

New this year was the Aligned Data Centers Lounge, a martini-sports bar in the far corner of the foyer where guests hungry for heartier sustenance could snack on sliders and watch a football game on TV.

Crystal Charity Ball 2025 The prettiest seaside "shrimp boat" you'll ever see.Photo by Ashley Gongora

Patrons could also try their luck in the casino, then redeem their winnings for home decor, children's toys, and gifts in the Boutique d’Elegance.

The silent auction featured dozens upon dozens of magnificent trips, fine jewelry, artwork, runway fashion experiences, one-of-a-kind accessories, and many more exquisite items. Bidders checked their phones all night to see if they were still in the running. They could also buy Contribution Tickets for the chance to win a luxury car from Sewell or a Highland Park Village shopping spree.

Fashion moment
Crystal Charity Ball is not only the grandest gala of the year in Dallas, it's also the city's biggest formal fashion moment. Dallas' best-dressed women dazzled in their glamorous gowns.

Crystal Charity Ball 2025 Ball chair Mary Martha Pickens in a vibrant green and blue Michael Faircloth gown (with Dr. John Pickens).Photo by Tamytha Cameron

Shades of blue that matched the water and sky motifs of the evening were popular (as seen on Julianne Santarosa, Kim Hodge, and Leila Henderson-Gary). So were vibrant jewel tones (Anne Davidson, Monica Davy, Cary Deuber); holiday reds (Heather Wick, Haley Dearman, Veronica Moye, Laurie Sands Harrison); and various shades of white (Caroline Harrison, Sharon Lee Clark, Victoria Cullum, and Sabrina Harrison - whose sculptural gown seemed the embodiment of Pantone's 2026 color of the year, "Cloud Dancer").

Beloved local designers were well-represented, including Nardos, Michael Faircloth, Patti Flowers, Ese Azenabor, and Venny Etienne.

In a fun Dallas charity-fashion mashup, quite a few attendees wore gowns purchased at the Salvation Army Fashion Show & Luncheon: Candace Winslow donned a hand-painted Patti Flowers ballgown that was the grand finale look of 2025 event, and the 2025 chair Stacey Walker wore a Roland Nivelais number. 2026 chair Katherine Coker sparkled in a gold Monique Lhuillier dress, and longtime auxiliary member Maggie Kipp wore a black Carolina Herrera.

(Scroll through the photo gallery, above, to see dozens of gorgeous looks from the evening.)

Dancing, dinner, more dancing
When doors opened to the massive Chantilly Ballroom for dinner at 9 pm, musicians from Dallas Live Orchestra, perched on pedestals, played electric violins while dancers from Bruce Wood Dance Dallas, clad in all white, twirled and leaped across the dance floor. Splendid rose-filled centerpieces, with hanging crystals and votive candles, filled each table.

Crystal Charity Ball 2025 Dancers from Bruce Wood Dance Dallas and electric violin players from Dallas Live Orchestra entertained before dinner.Photo by Ashley Gongora

Guests sat down to a decadent meal of Arcadian salad topped with a goat cheese crisp; filet with dauphinoise potatoes and roasted Brussels sprouts and carrots; and a dainty “Flower Dream” mousse-cake on a pistachio shell for dessert.

An orchestra composed of local musicians provided the dinner music, and once the last morsels had been eaten, the party revved up. The party band Simply Irresistible kicked things into high gear with their covers of hit pop and disco songs, and the dance floor filled quickly.

Those who wanted to call it a night scooped up their party favors - an exquisite Nambe bowl courtesy of sponsor Amase Stays - and picked some hot coffee and freshly made doughnuts on the way to the valet stand. Surprise! There was another gift, a golf umbrella from PlainsCapital Bank, left inside the car at valet.

Pulling the extravagant event together was a massive team that included producer Tom Addis of Tom Addis Productions, Inc.; Junior Villanueva of The Garden Gate for the florals; Lambert's, which donated all the greenery, trees, and flowers; Hilton Anatole executive banquet chef Matthew Martin, and hundreds more.

Crystal Charity Ball 2025 The ball was attended by 1,540 guests.Photo by Ashley Gongora

The point of it all
The Crystal Charity Ball’s purpose is to aid, support, and make contributions to charitable organizations dedicated to the welfare of children located in Dallas County. The ball has distributed about $200 million since 1953.

The 2025 Crystal Charity Ball will fund seven Dallas beneficiaries with an extraordinary collective commitment of $7,459,305: Café Momentum, Cristo Rey Dallas College Prep, Dallas CASA, Foundation for the Callier Center for Communication Disorders, Retina Foundation of the Southwest, The Stewpot, and West Dallas Community School.

The celebration ball is held annually to express appreciation to the organization's generous donors.

fundraisers charity luxury galas crystal charity ball

Centerstage spotlight

Showstopping Dallas Theater Center gala raises the curtain on a new era

Photo by Tamytha Cameron

Zeke Williams, Grace Cook, Jeff Netzer, Lynn McBee, Kristina Kirkenaer-Hart

On a picture-perfect Saturday night, more than 250 of Dallas’ most devoted arts patrons gathered at the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre for CENTERSTAGE 42, the annual gala benefiting Dallas Theater Center. The elegant evening on May 2 proved to be both a celebration of Dallas theater’s past and a curtain-raising for its future.

As the sun began to set across the Diane and Hal Brierley Esplanade in the Dallas Arts District, guests descended the outdoor staircase for an al fresco cocktail reception. One popular stop was just inside the doors of the lobby: A "Ziya" digital photo booth from local company Make Life Sweeter that turned patrons' posed photos into stylized watercolor portraits.

Throughout the venue, installations highlighting Dallas Theater Center’s Public Works initiative reminded attendees that the organization’s impact stretches from the stage to the neighborhoods of North Texas.

A multicourse dinner was served on the stage inside the Potter Rose Performance Hall, making attendees feel like the stars of the show in the intimate, theatrical atmosphere.

One of the night’s most meaningful moments came with the presentation of the prestigious Linda and Bill Custard Award to Larry Angelilli, recognized for more than three decades of leadership and advocacy that helped shape Dallas’ cultural landscape. The gala also paused to honor the memories of two beloved arts patrons, Linda Custard and Sarah Warnecke, both longtime champions of Dallas Theater Center and the broader arts community.

Inspired by their example, guests bid high for fabulous live auction items, including trips to Palm Springs and Hawaii and a private dinner with actor Michael Urie at a home on White Rock Lake. A paddle raise followed, with patrons giving generously all around the room.

Every $100 counted - from upstage, downstage, and closer to the wings - as the sold-out fundraiser's earnings totaled an impressive $545,000 in support of the Tony Award-winning theater company and its education and community engagement programs, including Project Discovery, Summer Stage, Saturday Sessions, and Community Workshops.

It wouldn't have been a theater benefit without a showstopping performer. When scheduled headliner Michael Urie was called away for filming commitments tied to Shrinking, Dallas Theater Center called on homegrown talent — and the result brought the crowd to its feet. Broadway performer Tiffany Mann, a DFW native with credits including Be More Chill and Waitress, delivered a powerhouse performance - and a few sparkly outfit changes.

The entire program was emceed by Bri Woods and Akron Watson, both fresh off Dallas Theater Center’s acclaimed production of Ragtime. Woods, an SMU Meadows graduate and Linda and Bill Custard Meadows Actor in the Diane and Hal Brierley Resident Acting Company, represented the next generation of Dallas theater talent, while Tony-, Grammy-, and Emmy-winning Watson brought Broadway pedigree and star power to the gala stage.

This year’s gala leadership reflected the milestone spirit of the evening. Rather than appointing a single chair, Dallas Theater Center reunited gala chairs from the past decade to lead CENTERSTAGE 42 collectively. Leadership included Jennifer and Peter Altabef, Mickie and Jeff Bragalone, Stephanie Byrd, Scott Davis, Melinda Johnson, Brett Levy, Michelle Lockhart, Ann Mahowald, Deborah McMurray, Scott Moore, Scott Orr, Andy Smith, Paul Von Wupperfeld, Hamilton Sneed, and Krista Farber Weinstein.

The evening also marked an exciting turning point for Dallas Theater Center as it prepares to enter a new era under incoming Enloe/Rose Artistic Director Jaime Castañeda, a TCU grad who is making his return to DFW. The affable leader introduced himself to the audience with a few fun personal anecdotes (including one involving an Easter bunny suit) and expressed his enthusiasm for the vision and direction of DTC.

Cheers went up as Castañeda made a surprise announcement: That The Lehman Trilogy would be the final show in DTC's 2026-27 season.

Upon retrieving their cars from valet, guests departed with an ingenious gift on their front seat: A thank-you note and invitation for two tickets to the DTC's next production, the world premiere of Jonathan Norton's play Malcolm X and Redd Foxx Washing Dishes at Jimmy’s Chicken Shack in Harlem -on stage now through June 7. "We look forward to welcoming you back to the theater!" read the note.

Spotted in the crowd, enjoying the evening, were DTC patrons and supporters including Zeke Williams, Grace Cook, Jeff Netzer, Lynn McBee, Kristina Kirkenaer-Hart, Ann Mahowald, Michelle Lockhart, Hamilton A Sneed, Krista Farber Weinstein, Caroline Hamilton, Brandi Willis, Paul von Wupperfeld, Andy Smith, Mickie Bragalone, Jeff Bragalone, Deborah McMurray, Glen Davison, Cynthia Smoot, Jeff Netzer, Jeremy Lock, D'Andra Simmons Lock, Lynn Richardson, Elvenn Richardson, Michelle Lockhart, Krista Weinstein, Paul von Wupperfeld, Sarah Jackson, Andy Smith, and many more. (Scroll through the photos, above, to see highlights of the night.)

Photo by Tamytha Cameron

Zeke Williams, Grace Cook, Jeff Netzer, Lynn McBee, Kristina Kirkenaer-Hart

dallas theater center theater galas