Considered one of the fun events leading up to the annual Crystal Charity Ball, the Circle of Angels dinner on Tuesday, October 25, in the Pecan Room at Old Parkland appeared to suffer from the season’s valet challenges.
In trying to enter the Old Parkland grounds, luxury vehicles were waiting in the valet lineup for 15 to 20 minutes as evening traffic stalled along Maple Avenue. As also occurred at the CCB’s Husbands Party a couple of weeks before, some guests like Tricia George simply left their cars and their husbands (Kenn George, in this case) in the driver’s seat waiting for the line to start moving.
On the other hand, Elaine Agather finally pulled her car up to the entry and headed to discuss the situation with the head valet. As they were talking, another valet took off in her car while the head man scrambled to record her license plate.
The reasons for the auto slo-mo ranged from a “second party in another part of the complex that was taking up space” to the challenge of having the parking area underground. Said one guest, exiting her car at last: “It’s interesting out there on Maple Avenue.”
As vexing as the valet situation was, it was only a momentary distraction. Once at the entrance, the 115 or so guests including Pat and Charles McEvoy, Margaret and Barry Hancock, Claire and Dwight Emanuelson, Patti Flowers and Tom Swiley, Kristi and Ron Hoyl, Kim and Greg Hext, Jennifer and David Lancashire, Aimee and Paul Griffiths, Margaret and Barry Hancock, Katherine and Austin Wyker, Candace and John Winslow, Jan and Fred Hegi, Louise and Joe LaManna, Aileen and Jack Pratt, Kim McCue, Michal Powell, Mary Clare Finney, Shannon Graham and Doug Box were directed to the elevated garden of the bell tower and the Alexander Stoddart statue for the cocktail reception.
Perhaps it was the beautiful weather, or the releasing of pent-up energy following a couple of years of pandemic, but there was definitely an ease and a frivolity in the air, with some of the ladies mischievously providing “rabbit ears” as the gents were photographed. Leading the raising of the ears was former CCB Chair Tucker Enthoven‘s mom, Julie Ford.
2022 CCB Chair Susan Farris was grateful that each of her outdoor events had enjoyed glorious weather. The evening was a far cry from the 2022 CCB beneficiary presentation in February that took place despite a snowstorm’s closing down most of North Texas.
Laura and Jason Downing were in countdown mode for daughter Caroline Downing‘s wedding to Trent Gahm on Saturday, November 5… Eric Gambrell was drinking in all of Old Parkland’s marvels, as this was his first visit to the complex… Gail Fischer remarked that the gathering was like “old home week,” just before making a beeline to catch up with her friend Tricia George.
Just past eight, the chimes rang out and the bars closed, signaling the guests to move downstairs to the adjacent Pecan Room.
There, they found a carefully prepared Cassandra dinner consisting of baby greens salad with port poached pear, goat cheese, celery and honey pearls; pan roasted beef tenderloin, crushed marble potatoes, apple smoked bacon, root vegetables and beer batter onion rings; and cinnamon apple crumble and ginger ice cream.