Tickets are still available for the Winter White Ball from 6 to 11 p.m. this Sunday, Dec. 4, at the Butler Event Center, 3744 State St. in Santa Barbara, which will raise funds for the nonprofit 2012 Summer Solstice Celebration.
“The Summer Solstice Celebration Winter White Ball goes back to early Solstice fundraising events in the 1980s,” said Executive Director Claudia Bratton, who has led the 38-year-old celebration for the past 14 years. “It was held at Las Tejas Estate in Montecito, and everyone who attended wore white. It was an afternoon affair, which included entertainment, silent auction and everyone dressed in white.”
The fundraiser is being organized to ensure the next Santa Barbara Summer Solstice Celebration is even better than this year’s three-day festival, which brought thousands to Alameda Park. “Fantasy” is the theme for the weekend festival, which opens June 22, with the parade on June 23 and festival continuing through June 24.
The White Winter Ball will feature the live funk, soul, R&B, Motown and disco music of South Coast dance band Area 51 and DJ Steven J, who will play recorded tunes. A light buffet with food from some South Coast restaurants will be served with a no-host bar. A silent auction will be offered as a way to buy holiday gifts.
Also benefiting the celebration is Kevin Steele’s Solstice photo exhibit with an opening reception from 5 to 8 p.m. Dec. 1 at Samy’s Camera Gallery, 614 Chapala St. It is part of the Santa Barbara Downtown Organization’s 1st Thursday evenings of art and culture.
Steele’s photos are taken on a white stage with costumed Solstice characters in whimsical moments before they launch Santa Barbara’s craziest parade. A soft-cover gallery book with more than 100 Solstice characters also will be available. Half of the proceeds from the sale of the photos and books will benefit the Summer Solstice Celebration.
White Winter Ball tickets can be purchased through the Solstice Office by calling 805.965.3396 or online through PayPal. Tickets are $45 per person and $80 per couple.
In conjunction with the Dec. 4 fundraiser, the Sandman Inn, adjacent to the Butler Event Center, is offering a special $55 “Solstice rate” for that night for a King Room. Contact the Solstice office at 805.965.3396, to make arrangements for the special rate. Summer Solstice is a nonprofit 501(c)3 corporation that produces the Solstice Parade, Solstice Festival and the Solstice Community Arts Workshop from donations and sponsorships of the organization.
— Claudia Bratton is executive director of the Santa Barbara Summer Solstice Celebration.