Curated Texan
Women’s Council of the Dallas Arboretum & Botanical Garden Holds 36th Annual Mad Hatter’s Gathering
By Cynthia Smoot Photography by Thomas Garza and Rob Wythe
THE SCENE: The annual Mad Hatter’s Luncheon, Gardens of Greece welcomed a sold-out crowd benefiting the Women’s Council of the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden and A Woman’s Garden. Allison Brodnax, Mad Hatter’s chair and Karen Sargent, Women’s Council president, joined Honorary Chair Barbara Bigham and her husband Bob, in welcoming over 520 dedicated volunteers, supporters, sponsors, and underwriters to the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden. The legendary Jan Strimple was back to produce this year’s show with fashions from sponsor NorthPark Center. Followed by announcement of hat winners, a delicious three-course luncheon served in three different elegant settings, each one with tables draped in luscious white tablecloths printed with blue floral prints, bold fuchsia napkins, and centerpieces of mixed florals, including roses, hydrangeas, calla lilies, and more.
THE VIBE: The scene was full of enthusiastic fashions embracing the theme Gardens of Greece with ladies in long white Grecian-inspired gowns, gold crowns in many forms, including feathers and jeweled faux snakes; Olympic Games with flags; Best Botanicals hats overflowing with fresh flowers; Greek Goddesses honored the sea and sported sea shells, feathers, shimmering glass and small boats; a real bundt cake celebrating My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Greek Life (Sororities), Greek Mythology with small statues and dry-ice clouds from Mt. Olympus; and My Greek College Life with plastic beer cups painted gold glued with ping pong balls.
THE NON-PROFIT: Chaired by Allison Brodnax with Honorary Chair Barbara Bigham and Women’s Council President Karen Sargent, the Mad Hatter’s Luncheon Gardens of Greece welcomed a sold-out crowd, earning a net of $314,000 benefiting the Women’s Council of the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden and A Woman’s Garden.
