Whoa! Was Dallas downtown’s swank Thompson Hotel in for a culture shock on Tuesday, May 14. While the buttoned-down, suited business types gathered in the Monarch restaurant, the 2024 Cattle Baron’s Ball committee and their high-rolling backers literally stepped up, taking over the hotel’s private event venue just above the Monarch with denims, glitzy boots and stetsons for the Trailblazer Party. Here’s a report from the field:
More than 250 guests crowded into the Thompson Hotel’s private event space above the much- touted Monarch restaurant for an ah-MAZE-ing evening of cocktails and spectacular views in the 1950s-era building downtown.
The re-purposed building’s low-ceilings and winding corridors, in contrast to current downtown buildings with wide-swept lobbies and floor-to-ceiling windows, created a genuine maze for the guests who wandered up and down the 49th and 50th floors. “Wandering” and “wondering” were the optimum descriptions. Everyone was wondering where to wander.
The invitation was a tad misleading as the party was not actually held in Monarch. Guests passed through the super-busy restaurant to a private event space above the eatery. Ball Co-Chairs Lora Farris and Marjon Henderson greeted guests at the top of a grand staircase with an oversized, life-like cutout of headline entertainer Carrie Underwood before moving into a dimly lit space with multiple small windows overlooking the Trinity River and Oak Cliff.
In the middle of this confab of Cattle Baron’s members like Aarica Mims, Brittany Mathews, Samantha Worley, Lisa Ogle, Molly Carson, Lauren Bellemare, Katy and Parker Brooks and Tanya and Brandon Davis, husbands in cowboy hats and a few wide-eyed donors, Party Sponsor Diamonds Direct folks Mae Murrell and Matthew Cadwell were displaying oodles of jewels in and encouraging guests to try them on.
For some partygoers, there was a sense of nostalgia. Longtime CBB member and underwriter Angie Kadesky took great pleasure as she peeked out the Southern view and pointed out her office on the 47th floor of the adjacent Renaissance Tower when she was a fledgling young attorney many years ago.
Another mature guest with an impressive knowledge of Downtown Dallas recalled visiting the George Dahl-designed building in its glory days. Dahl was responsible for design work on such establishments as the art deco buildings at Fair Park and Neiman Marcus Downtown. The Cattle Baron’s guest remembered that the original 17,000+ hand-cut exterior marble panels had been sourced from the same quarry as the marble used for the Parthenon.
Once the majority of the guests discovered that the maze led to food stations and quiet seating areas on the 50th floor, the combination of the “Mad Men” era structure, the view and strong libations made the directional challenges seem much-less daunting.
In a departure from typical parties honoring underwriters, the Trailblazer’s Party did not include any remarks or introductions. “We wanted to celebrate the companies and individuals who donated early to Cattle Baron’s, and we thought a great party would let them know how much we appreciate them,” said Lora.
Among the those enjoying the evening were former Cattle Baron’s Chairs Amy Turner, Diana Hamilton, Isabell Novakov Higginbotham and husband Trey Higginbotham, Lisa Shirley and husband Joe Bob Shirley, Wendy Messmann and husband Boyd Messmann and Chairmen-Elect Nina Sachse and Dr. Courtney Derderian.
Lora and Marjon are putting the finishing touches on the décor and layout for the Cattle Baron’s Ball that will be Saturday, September 28, at Southfork. While the Trailblazer’s event was SRO, there are still sponsorships and underwriting opportunities available. Visit cattlebaronball.com for more details.
* Photo credit: Tamytha Cameron Photography