HistoryMiami Museum will be swinging back to the 1920s with its inaugural Gatsby-themed Flamingo Ball at Hialeah Park on Saturday, January 14th, 2017.
The Flamingo Ball, named after the beautiful birds that inhabit Hialeah Park’s infield lake, was first held in 1965 on the eve of the Flamingo Stakes horse race at the racetrack. After a lapse of a few years, the lavish pink social confection is coming back and is paying tribute to when Hialeah Park first opened its doors in 1922 with a roaring twenties theme.
In the ‘70s the gleaming gala grew into one of the most glamorous and legendary parties in Miami attended by the rich and famous, powerful families, dignitaries, city and government leaders, equestrians and socialites. Notable partakers included: Joe and Rose Kennedy, Liz Tippit, Ogden Phipps, Jackie Bouvier, Horatio and Frances Luro, Leslie Combs, Juliette and David Trapp, Oleg Cassini, Harry Guggenheim, David Brinkley, Marylou and Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney, Dwight and Mamie Eisenhower, and movie stars by the dozens.
This year’s nostalgic ceremony will benefit HistoryMiami Museum’s education programming and treat more than 250 guests to a multi-course dinner by candlelight, champagne and signature cocktails, live performances, jazz dancing, and a special awards ceremony directed by Emmy Award-winning journalist, Cynthia Demos.
HistoryMiami Museum will honor Bob Dickinson, former CEO of Carnival Cruise Lines, and Brian Keeley, president and CEO of Baptist Health South Florida, with the Henry Flagler Award. The award is a tribute to Henry Flagler, a key historical figure in the state of Florida and founder of the Florida East Coast Railway.
Table sponsors at this black tie fundraiser will enjoy exclusive access to the Speakeasy Lounge offering a private pre-event reception, exclusive hors d’oeuvres and handcrafted cocktails before sitting down to a three-course dinner followed by dancing and live entertainment.
For more information on sponsorship packages and individual tickets, please contact Hilda Masip at hmasip@historymiami.org or visit www.historymiami.org/event/flamingo-ball-a-toast-to-the-roaring-20s. Community members interested in attending are encouraged to purchase tickets by January 7th, 2017.
About HistoryMiami Museum
HistoryMiami Museum, a Smithsonian Affiliate, is the premier cultural institution committed to gathering, organizing, preserving and celebrating Miami’s history as the unique crossroads of the Americas. We accomplish this through education, collections, research, exhibitions, publications and city tours. Located in the heart of downtown Miami, HistoryMiami Museum is a 70,000 square foot facility and home to more than one million historical images and 30,000 three-dimensional artifacts, including a 1920’s trolley car, artifacts from Pan American World Airways, and rafts that brought refugees to Miami. For more information, call 305-375-1492 or visit historymiami.org.