Une soirée magnifique!

A 40-foot-high Eiffel Tower and acres of roses and peonies set the scene forCrystal Charity Ball

Photo by © Sylvia Elzafon
Photo by © Robert Bostick
Photo by © Sylvia Elzafon
Photo by © Sylvia Elzafon
The 40-foot tall Eiffel Tower was created especially for the Crystal CharityBall.
Photo by © Sylvia Elzafon
Key players gathered in the ballroom of the Hilton Anatole for pre-dinnerphotographs.
Photo by © Robert Bostick
Photo by © Sylvia Elzafon
Photo by © Sylvia Elzafon
Photo by © Sylvia Elzafon
Photo by © Sylvia Elzafon
Photo by © Sylvia Elzafon
Photo by © Sylvia Elzafon
Photo by © Sylvia Elzafon
Photo by © Sylvia Elzafon
Tom Addis created the decor as splendid as anything in Paris.
Photo by © Sylvia Elzafon
Photo by © Sylvia Elzafon
Photo by © Sylvia Elzafon
Photo by © Sylvia Elzafon
Photo by © Sylvia Elzafon
The ladies carrying star balloons sold a wealth of raffle tickets.
Photo by © Sylvia Elzafon

Louis XIV could not have imagined a more opulent setting than that created for Le Grand Bal Parisien, a gilded soirée celebrating the 60th anniversary of the venerable Crystal Charity Ball. And who would expect anything less from the evening that serves as the unchallenged epicenter of the Dallas social swirl?

As the 1,650 grandly attired guests glided into the Hilton Anatole, they were dramatically transported far beyond the confines of a massive convention hotel. The 40-foot Eiffel Tower, bedecked with blinking lights, was the visual harbinger of things to come.

Surrounded by boxwood hedges and voluminous banks of white cyclamen, tastefully punctuated by French-style statuary, the structure was the pinnacle of the various vignettes that came together in a grand French tableau. And this was just for the two-hour cocktail reception.

Stepping through the looking glass into this world of magnificent beauty were notables including Annette and Harold Simmons, who had donated $1 million to the annual fundraising effort.

As the A-listers arrived, gala chair Aileen Pratt, husband Jack Pratt not far afield, greeted guests as if she were the queen for the day. And, indeed, to chair this ball is to establish coveted social credentials that only 60 women have previously enjoyed. Wearing a glittering, golden gown by Oscar de la Renta, she filled the role convincingly.

Stepping through the looking glass into this world of magnificent beauty were notables including Annette and Harold Simmons, who had donated $1 million to the annual fundraising effort that for 2012 brought in some $4.5 million for eight local charities serving the needs of children. (So important was the couple that they had their own special waiter to oversee the needs of their well-placed table.)

Kudos to 2012 underwriting chair Michal Powell, who spent much of the night thanking major donors, a proud Loyd Powell joining his wife.

After bidding on silent auction items, shopping the gift boutique and challenging Lady Luck in the packed casino, guests moved into the ballroom where Tom Addis' decor rivaled any Versailles reproduction — though he modestly described the look as more Petite Trianon than the grand palace. But, we must say, "Au contraire." The ballroom was a Marie Antoinette spectacular.

This was the special events guru's 19th year to create the ball environment — a monumental effort for 2012 that included draping ballroom walls in floral murals and adding mullioned mirrors and gilded columns. Bountiful bouquets of peonies, roses, hydrangeas and Casa Blanca lilies filled the vast ballroom with heavenly fragrance and enveloped the soaring cocktail lighting at each table.

The beauty of the room was not lost on guests such as Caroline Rose Hunt, Del Frnka, Yvonne Crum, Cynthia and Forrest Miller, Cissy and Plack Carr, Sarah and Ross Perot, Amy and Malone Mitchell, Jane and Pat Bolin, and Renee and David Winter.

Before the dinner (which started with caviar, lobster and pate de foie gras), guests were treated to a lively dance presentation that included rollicking can can dancers, 18th century minuet-style presentations and more. The enthusiastic crowd flanked the dance floor with few taking their seats until after the vibrant entertainment.

Casting a thoughtful eye across the proceedings was 2013 Crystal Charity Ball chair Caren Kline, who, at midnight received the chair's baton from Aileen Pratt in the traditional passing-on of power.

Among those wining, dining and dancing were Lucy Billingsley, Alan and Randy Engstrom, Nancy Carlson, Pam Perella, Kimberly Schlegel Whitman, Lynn and Allan McBee, Leigh and Ryan Friend, Linda and Steve Ivy, and Laura and Mark Flagg.

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La Dolce Vita

Italian glamour steals the show at DSO League LimonCello Luncheon

Photo by Thomas Garza and Rob Wythe

Amy Green, Anne Seanor, Claire Catrino, Mackenzie Brittingham, Meredith Connally, Elizabeth St. Marie

WHAT: 2026 Dallas Symphony Orchestra League Fashion Notes LimonCello Luncheon and Fashion Show

WHERE: Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center

THE 411: The Dallas Symphony Orchestra League celebrated its 80th anniversary in vibrant, Italian-inspired style at the 2026 Fashion Notes LimonCello luncheon and fashion show. More than 500 Dallas philanthropists and arts supporters gathered for the chic spring fête benefiting the Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s youth education and outreach initiatives.

Chaired by Meredith Allen Connally, Amy Green, and Elizabeth St. Marie, with honorary chairs Anne and Bill Seanor and DSOL president Claire Catrino, the elegant afternoon spotlighted Dallas designer Mackenzie Brittingham as the 2026 Fashion Design Award honoree. Brittingham presented a dazzling couture runway collection inspired by the Amalfi Coast and Tuscan landscapes, featuring flowing beaded gowns, structured silhouettes, luxurious furs, and exotic handbags in shades of citrus yellow, ivory, and Mediterranean blue.

The Meyerson was transformed into a glamorous Italian escape for the afternoon. Valet sponsor Avondale Dealerships parked a flower-filled yellow luxury vehicle at the entrance, while inside, patrons sipped Limoncello and Aperol spritzes, posed for photos against blue-and-yellow tiled backdrops, browsed raffle prizes, and sampled crème brûlée cheesecake espresso martinis and ladyfingers while being serenaded by Dallas Symphony Young Strings cellists Vincent Ramirez Boyce and Carlos Vargas.

The show-stopping runway entrance featured towering arches overflowing with lemons, greenery, and yellow florals, setting the stage for a high-style presentation emceed by Calvert Collins-Bratton. Models included notable Dallas women and their families, among them Claire Catrino with daughters Grace and Katherine, Faith Baldwin and daughter Blake, Meredith Connally and son Allen, Elizabeth St. Marie with children Charlotte and William, Gloria Steves, and honorary chair Anne Seanor.

During remarks, Catrino explained that the clever “LimonCello” theme honored both Italy’s dolce vita spirit and the cello students of the DSO’s Young Strings program. Michelle Miller Burns, Ross Perot President & CEO of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, praised the league’s decades-long commitment to strengthening music education and community engagement throughout North Texas.

Following the runway presentation, patrons enjoyed an Italian-inspired luncheon featuring Caprese salad, lemon garlic chicken penne pasta, and a trio of desserts including lemon meringue, lemon posset, and tiramisu. Tables were dressed in cheerful lemon-patterned linens, pressed glassware, and bright yellow tulips and hydrangeas that carried the Amalfi Coast theme throughout the room.

Proceeds from Fashion Notes benefit the Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s education and outreach initiatives, including the Cecil and Ida Green Youth Concert Series, DSO Cares, Young Strings, Kim Noltemy Young Musicians, and Bach’s Lunch. Over the past four decades, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra League has raised more than $25 million in support of the orchestra and its community programs.

WHO: Maggie Kipp, Fallon Hennessy, Lindsay Hall, Sarah Bowlby, Allison Brodnax, Katherine Smethie, Nikki Beneke, Joanie Stephens, Shyler Landry, Shane Peters, Sherwood Wagner, Marena Gault, Donna Arp Weitzman, Sarah Hendrix, Natalie Davenport, Laura Black, Sheridan Reeder, Lea Wernick, Natalie LaDrier, Emma Boulle, Denis Boulle, Karen Boulle, Denton Bricker, Colby Baer, Gloria Gault Steves, and hundreds more.

Photo by Thomas Garza and Rob Wythe

Amy Green, Anne Seanor, Claire Catrino, Mackenzie Brittingham, Meredith Connally, Elizabeth St. Marie

dallas philanthropists dallas symphony orchestra dallas symphony orchestra league dso league fashion notes limoncello luncheons

Une soirée magnifique!

A 40-foot-high Eiffel Tower and acres of roses and peonies set the scene forCrystal Charity Ball

La Dolce Vita

Italian glamour steals the show at DSO League LimonCello Luncheon

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