Fiesta Youth‘s biggest fundraiser of the year, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, will mark its fourth year on April 20 at the Veranda in Castle Hills.
Slated for the first weekend of Fiesta San Antonio, the masquerade party will feature an open bar of specialty cocktails, wine, and cold beer. There will also be a five-course buffet with a fiesta-themed menu prepared by Chef Michael Bomberg. A silent auction includes tickets to Broadway shows, hotel stays, artwork, wine packages, and more.
Stunt juggler and contortionist Matt Tardy. (Courtesy photo)
Guests will be entertained by the Don’t Forget the Music Band, singer-songwriter Laura Marie (see video below), the Grupo Folklórico De Bendiciones Dance Troupe, the Matt Tardy and Team Stunt Show, and DJ Rook who will spin tunes all night long. Emcee for the evening is Crystafer MIC.
The venue, the beautiful and spacious Veranda of Castle Hills, formerly known as the Slimp House, was built in the 1920’s and is situated on 35 acres filled with giant oaks and manicured gardens.
The Veranda (Photo by Caroline Studios)
During the festivities, the Fiesta Youth board of directors will take time to award $1000 scholarships to three college-bound LGBT youth.
Darrell Garcia Parsons, president of the Fiesta Youth board, told Out In SA that the Fiesta Commission is doing a review of the Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil fundraiser in anticipation of making it an official Fiesta San Antonio event starting in 2019.
Garcia Parsons also said there will be an announcement regarding Fiesta Youth’s “partnership with a very large and well-known, mainstream organization” which will begin offering a second night of Fiesta Youth support meetings at a new location.
Currently, the group meets on Tuesdays from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at University Presbyterian Church, 300 Bushnell.
Revelers at the 2016 Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil party. (Photo by Sam Sanchez)
Fiesta Youth was first organized in 2013 by founder Emily Leeper, a San Antonio mom with a teenage lesbian daughter. Leeper started the LGBT youth group after finding out there was none in the city.
The sponsors for this year’s Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil are:
GOLD SPONSORS: Toyota Spectrum GLBT & Friends Alliance, H-E-B, Greenstar, MG Tax & Business Solutions, Diablos OutSports, Luther’s Cafe, Sparky’s Pub, Knockout Sports Bar, Heat, Dale & Bradley Ahrendt-Painter, Eric Alva and Danny Ingram, Joseph Milligan, Dr. Ramon Arroyo and Dennis Hirschey. SILVER SPONSORS: SA Country Saloon, Poznecki Camarillo Inc., Lambermont Events, Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd ELCA, PFLAG San Antonio, Cofa Productions, Grupo Folklorico de Beniciones, Frank Cerminaro, Chris & Ginger Chun, Dr. Assem and Amanda Sherkawy, The Honorable Judge Genie Wright. MEDIA SPONSORS: 95.1 Now, Tha1Radio.
An after party hosted by Armani D Andrews will be held at the SA Country Saloon featuring performances at 11 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. by Stephanie Fishe, Felisha Savage Andrews, Candis Kline McCall, Alayna Marquez, and Kandy Van Whales.
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil: A Masquerade Party Benefiting Fiesta Youth. Friday, April 20 at 7 p.m. at The Veranda, 1746 Lockhill-Selma Rd. Tickets are $100 and can be purchased at this link. Online ticket sales end at 11:55 p.m. on April 19. Contact: info@fiesta-youth.org. Admission to 21 years-old and over. Fiesta Youth is a 501c3 non-profit and tickets are tax deductible.
