In case you missed my column in Real magazine on Friday:
Austin high life returns to top form in September.
Broadway stars Bernadette Peters and Brian Stokes Mitchell headline two matched affairs, one of them black-tie, staged by party potentates Bobbi, Wendy and Kelly Topfer.
Ballet Austin selected a Nutcracker theme for the two-part Fête and Fêt*ish (Sept. 21, Driskill Hotel), always one of the most glamorous galas of the season.
A few blocks away on the same night, the Andy Roddick Foundation Gala (Sept. 21, ACL Live) welcomes dreamy singer John Legend, while Tribeza Style Week (Sept. 21-28, various locations) kicks off its run of fashion shows and other diversions with a kicky party.
Need more high style? Head to Fashion’s Night Out (Sept. 6, various locations), part of a national apparel blowout.
We won’t reveal the exact street address of the Ann Richards School Birthday Bash (Sept. 13, private residence), but suffice it to say the manse belongs to a famous man no stranger to endurance sports.
Go patriotic with a presidential theme at the Jewel Ball (Sept. 22, Palmer Events Center), a debutante dance from the Women’s Symphony League.
One of Austin’s preferred arty parties and silent auctions is the Red Hot Red Dot (Sept. 13, Women & Their Work), while the museum season opens with the Director’s Dinner (Sept. 13, Blanton Museum of Art).
Some great back-to-back party themes: the Art of Giving Gala (Sept. 22, Hilton Austin) for the American Diabetes Association and the Big Give (Sept. 23, Driskill Hotel) for I Live Here I Give Here.
Season these philanthropic affairs with the Nonprofit Excellence Awards (Sept. 20, AT&T Center) during the Texas Nonprofit Summit, and then the Easter Seals Central Texas 75th Anniversary Concert (Sept. 28, Shoal Crossing).
Public festivals return in full force during the fall. Two of the top choices are the Texas Tribune Festival (Sept. 21-23, AT&T Center) and the Austin Pride Parade and Festival (Sept. 22, Fiesta Gardens and downtown Austin).
Have you wondered how all these charities afford the creative promotional videos featured during just about any gala?
Find out at the Lights. Camera. Help. Festival (Sept. 12-14, various locations), which showcases the work of budding filmmakers who illuminate those helping others.