The invitations are out and the reservations already are rolling in for the 2005 Kentucky Derby Museum Gala, which will take place on Saturday, April 30.
The gala has for many years taken place in a humongous white tent in the infield at Churchill Downs. The backdrop of the Twin Spires adds an excitement and frisson that really gets your juices flowing.
This year's chairman, Sug Schusterman, has planned a traditional Southern ball with her design co-chairs, Vivian and John Korfhage.
Guests will enter through a beautiful pergola covered in fresh flowering apple blossoms. The tent will have five 8-foot crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling.
The tables will be covered in three different shades of green silk. The floral centerpieces will be on airy pedestals above the diners heads, permitting conversation to flow unimpeded. Imagine a Southern ball from the turn of the last century.
Dinner is being catered by The Silver Spoon.
The Pat Patrick Orchestra is coming up from Nashville for the evening.
Popular and well-liked Mr. and Mrs. Roy Chapman, owners of Smarty Jones, will be the honorary chairmen of the gala. Unfortunately, they won't unable to att/files/storyimages/as Mr. Chapman is not able to travel at the present time. Their trainer, John Servis, and his wife Sherry will stand in for them.
The Chapmans have presented to the Derby Museum the preserved blanket of roses that Smarty Jones won last year.
The evening also will honor the chairmen of the previous 19 galas. They are Rose Rubel, Missy Lang, Dorothy Cherry, Lois Mateus, Jackie Wyatt, Barbara Nichols, Donna Atkins, Ann Wells, Laura Frazier, Rhonda Goodall, Jef Conner, Mary Stone, Roanne Victor, Susan Clarkson, Eleanor Ann Goldberg, Suzi Christofferson, Loren Hebel Osborne, Monette Beam and Mark Eliason.
A lot of memories surface from past galas. The first was held inside the Derby Museum. The next time you are at J. Harrod's look just inside the door at the picture of the crowd in the museum. They were packed in like sardines.
Dotti Cherry had her gala on the grounds of the Grandstand with Cirque de Soleil performers who wowed the crowd. Lorie Osborne's gala had a monsoon that threatened to wash away the evening, but she and her committee and a lot of Shop-Vacs saved the evening.
There have been Russian evenings (Laura Frazier), a Monet garden (Ann Wells), South Beach flamingos (Suzi Christofferson), Rhonda and Roanne both featured horses, Mary Stone had a French evening and Eleanor Goldberg had a beautiful Kentucky spring garden.
Museum board member Jim Patterson had artist Dawn Yates create a bronze statue representing a segment of the old Churchill Downs Clubhouse with the Twin Spires, a copy of which is presented to each ball chairman as a momento of the occasion.
Among the committee members this year are Sue Baughman, Julie Rakowski, Libby Parkinson, Terri Bass, Marybeth Beard, Jeanne Ferguson, Carol Hebel, Peg Holtman, Michael Judd, Ben Small, Douglas Riddle, Janet Lively, Kristine Lyczak, Jane MacDonald, Pam Ray, Laura Segar, Jennifer Blum, Marilyn Bower, Caroline Sharp, Marlyn Smith, Dana Mainka, Kay Matton, Pat Church, Carolle Jones Clay, Margaret Woodside, Kate Underwood, Kelly Fenley, Carol Meeker, Martha Miller, Kelly O'Daniel, Anisha Moore, Doreen Ovca, Lindy Street, Patricia Vairin, Janis Compton, Ann Decker, Summer Eliason, Rita Ellis, and Janet Falk.
Sug's co-chair is Kathy Oyler.
The gala is the only fund-raiser the museum holds to support its endowment fund.
Tickets are going fast and it looks like it will be a sellout. Tickets for the evening, which includes cocktails, dinner and dancing, are for $400 per person and can be purchased by calling the Kentucky Derby Museum at 502-637-1111, extension 228.
Locust Grove lecture
Mark your calendar for April 6 at Locust Grove.
That is when Sara Harger, director, and Randy Huff, research assistant, of Liberty Hall Historic Site in Frankfort will present a discussion of the site and its location.
It is a part of the 2005 Lecture Series "Important Spaces, Interesting Places." It should be fascinating because the Brown family of Liberty Hall were important people, and the location and lay of the land in relationship to the Kentucky River and to the town are interesting.
The Locust Grove Afternoon Lecture Series is held the first Wednesday of each month. Dessert and coffee are served at 1 p.m. with the lecture immediately following at 1:15.
Admission is $5, and $3 for Friends of Historic Locust Grove. Reservations are not required. For details, call 897-9845.
