Organizers of the annual Columbus Arts Council gala may have outdone themselves this time around. The event set for Saturday, May 18, will be held in the acclaimed gardens at Windy Hill, the Lowndes County home of Nancy Imes. Featuring an extensive rose garden, koi pools and intriguing flora and landscaping, the grounds will provide the backddrop for a festive evening designed to support the nonprofit arts council, which offers exhibits, classes, music programming, the Young Peoples Artists Series and much more, year-round.
“The setting will make this party something really special,” said Gala Committee Chair Cathy Coleman. “This should be a fun night for all — good food and wonderful auction items. We have over 100 items already, ranging from a 7-day stay at the Naples, Fla., home of Johnny and Tanner Musso and quail and rabbit hunts, down to items for as little as $10.”
Additional getaways will be up for bid, including a week’s stay in a Smith Lake vacation home, as well as stays at resort homes at Florida’s Watercolor Beach and Vero Beach, just north of Miami.
Four exclusive hunts will be offered, too. Other auction items include a half-hour ride in an authentic 1944 P-51D North American Mustang airplane, football tickets to the Ole Miss/Alabama game, footballs signed by Nick Saban, Johnny Musso and Dan Mullen, plus golf rounds at Old Waverly and Lion Hills Golf Clubs.
“The list is so impressive,” said Pam Russell of the Gala Committee, which has worked closely with the Columbus Arts Council Fundraising Committee. “We’ve got a gorgeous bed, pottery, bird houses, acupuncture, more furniture, restaurant certificates, so many fun trips and so much more. I can’t believe how generous people have been. The gardens at Nancy Imes’ home will be gorgeous, and it’s all for such a good cause.”
How to go
Tickets to the 6 p.m. Gala in the Gardens are $60, available through Monday, May 13 at the Rosenzweig Arts Center at 501 Main St., or by calling 662-328-2787. Guests will enjoy heavy hors d’oeuvres, open bar and live music by El Rio Trio, as well as the auctions. Free transportation is available from Heritage Academy’s parking lot at 625 Magnolia Lane in Columbus. Parking at Windy Hill is limited.
“We really hope everyone will join us for a night of fun and the rare opportunity to visit these beautiful gardens,” urged Coleman.
Jan Swoope is the Lifestyles Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.