A Three-Day Bayou Bend Event Weekend Had Something for All Ages!

A Three-Day Bayou Bend Event Weekend Had Something for All Ages!

Spring is always exciting at Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens, located off Memorial Drive adjacent to Memorial Park. This 14-acre Georgian estate, home of philanthropist Ima Hogg and her brothers, William C. and Michael Hogg, was designed by famed architect John F. Staub and completed in 1928. She was insistent on keeping as many trees as possible around her home and created a series of gardens that were intended as outdoor rooms for living and entertaining. In 1957, Hogg donated her home and her collection of approximately 4,700 historical objects to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and opened to the public in 1966. In February 1999, the city of Houston named Bayou Bend a historical landmark.

The events over the three-day April weekend have included the Saturday morning Bayou Bend Children’s Party and the Sunday evening Bayou Bend Garden Party for many years. Bayou Bend Fashion Show & Luncheon was added six years ago to begin the festive weekend. This elegant seated affair for 230 guests, under a stunning tent on the lawn, was chaired by Martha Long Wade. With the support of Saks Fifth Avenue and styled by Marzi Petris, a runway show featuring 41 different looks was the afternoon highlight. A delectable meal by City Kitchen and a pair of floral walls by The Events Company flanking the runway set a chic ambiance befitting a fashionable event.

Saturday’s fun was for the children and their parents. Pony rides, petting zoos and art-making activities entertained the whole family!

The final event that completed this fabulous weekend at Bayou Bend was the Garden Party, where 250 visitors gathered in the gardens under a luxurious tent, where once again, The Events Company was charged with creating the décor. Again, they rose to the challenge with soft pink floral linens, Japanese magnolias, garden roses and magenta calla lilies. Finally, City Kitchen stepped up to the “dinner plate” with a presentation of Seared Loin of Lamb, Sweet Corn Gazpacho and Coconut Cream Pie.

As a final gesture of thanks, Bonnie Campbell, long-time Director of Bayou Bend Collection & Gardens, received a well-earned toast from the attendees for her lifelong commitment as she retires later this year. At the event’s end, a weekend total of over $911,000 was raised for Bayou Bend.

Socially present (not previously mentioned):  Jennifer Harris, Jenny Kempner, Nancy Abendshein, Judy Tate, Sharyn Weaver, Jeanie Kilroy Wilson, Anne Duncan, Lynn Wyatt, Whitney Crane, Carey Kirkpatrick, Laura Murphy Lehner, Alexandra Butt, Lilly Cullen, Janie Zilkha, Shelli Lindley, Jenna Lindley, Kim Tutcher, Sheila Reese, Krissi Reid, Rachel Lawrence, Christine Morenz, Tatiana Massey, Kathy and Marty Goossen, Lily Schnitzer, Clayton Erikson, Sylvia Forsythe, Christina Tran, Irma Castor, Verna Ravago, Randalynn and Greg Zenner, Dan Gollins, Elizabeth Pham, Rich and Nancy Kinder, Sima Ladjevardian, Lynne and Joe Hudson, Polly and Murry Bowden, Eliza and Stuart Stedman, Lisa and Downing Mears, Judy and Charles Tate, Beth Robertson and Steve Pearce, Mo and Ric Campo, Michael N. Gassman, Cathy and Joe Cleary, Kristin and Will Pritchard and Nancy Powell Moore