Knoxville fashion peaks at Evergreen Ball

OK. OK. I heard some grumbling because I “didn’t show enough ball gowns” in my two reports on the gubernatorial inauguration last month. So I decided to make it up to you.

In Knoxville, the Evergreen Ball is arguably the dressiest of all the local fundraisers. Held at Cherokee Country Club (more on that later), it benefits Friends of the Smokies, a group that helps the Great Smoky Mountains National Park fund projects. Although the annual Center Stage event benefiting Children’s Hospital is more expensive ($300 per ticket), the Evergreen Ball, held last Saturday, traditionally brings out the most long ball gowns, fur coats and diamond jewelry. (It’s expensive enough, though. Tickets are $225 each.)

I decided this would be my perfect opportunity to show readers of The Blue Streak some fabulous gowns. And there were plenty, as you will see. But, wouldn’t you know it? This year saw a definite trend at the Evergreen Ball — more pants than ever before and more short dresses. Well, you work with what you’re given, right? I thought the clothes were beautiful in any case. So, grab your wrap, we are going to the Evergreen Ball! The first part of the Evergreen Ball is cocktails and a huge silent auction of items ranging from wine and art to travel and taxidermy. Kudos to silent auction chairperson Debbie Magill: this year the silent auction had 2,058 items! Whew!

OK. Time to go move on to the next phase: dinner. But it’s hard to make folks stop socializing and sit down! So we took some more photos in the dining room.

Now for some table-hopping!

After dinner and a live auction, it was time to hit the dance floor! Music was by the Chillbillies on the tented terrace.

All in all, a fabulous good time. Congratulations to Jody Curtis and Nancy Daves, the ball chairs.

Even though it was a great night, I just have to say once again that Cherokee Country Club is just too small for this event, which takes a lot of space due to all the elements of the evening. About 450 folks attended. A tent had to be added to the front of Cherokee to accommodate check-ins. Another huge tent had to be erected over the terrace to provide room to dance. And, worst of all, people could not all be in one room. We were lucky enough to be sitting at a sponsor’s table so we were in the main dining room. But others,  like those in the photo below, were not.

Several years ago, the ball was held at the Knoxville Convention Center (yes, the Convention Center is a client of ours) and it was lovely and comfortable. Scripps Networks did a stunning job that year of turning the ballroom into a beautiful forest with a huge moon overhead. The Chillbillies played on a circular stage in the center of a large round dance floor. We could all be together and there was plenty of room to move around between the tables. Cherokee Country Club is a tasteful and fitting venue for many smaller events. But I wish the Evergreen Ball would move back to the Convention Center.