4th Annual Derby Day Gala- May 5, 2012- Tickets now available!
January 12, 2012 by Larry
Filed under Derby Day Gala, Our Events
Don’t miss out on THE event of the year;
the Fourth Annual Derby Day Gala at Rockledge.
This fabulous event, on Saturday May 5, 2012, is in its fourth year of fund-raising for EventZone and it’s Festival in the Park’s Scholarship for the Arts Program, which has donated over $125,000 to area students who are pursing a degree in arts. Don’t just hear about this event, be a part of it! Tickets purchased are tax deductible. See photos of the past Derby Day Galas. Read more about last year’s Derby Day Gala, continue scrolling.
Buy your 2012 Derby Day Gala Tickets
The 2011 Derby Day Gala – was the best yet!
April 4, 2011 by Larry
Filed under Derby Day Gala, Our Events, Scholarship for the Arts
The 3rd Annual Derby Day Gala was held Sat. May 7, 2011, the same day as the 137th running of the Kentucky Derby. And what a day it was to celebrate this southern tradition in true Derby fashion. We saw seersucker suits, big hats, mint juleps, traditional Kentucky Derby fare, friendly wagering and had a blast dancing to the live entertainment provided by Project 4. Plus the added benefit of the most gorgeous view of the Roanoke Valley. The Derby Day Gala has now officially become one of Roanoke’s social events of the year!
Mark your calendar for the 2012 Derby Day Gala – Saturday May 5, 2012.
See photos of the 2011 Derby Day Gala!
Kentucky Derby Fare is just one of the stars at the Derby Day Gala
March 23, 2011 by Larry
Filed under Derby Day Gala, Our Events, Scholarship for the Arts
The students form Culinary Institute of Virginia Western are once again planning to cook up some mouth-watering traditional Kentucky Derby fare at the 3rd Annual Derby Day Gala. Chef Z and his students will prepare many traditional Kentucky Derby dishes as well as a few crowd favorites such as the southern staple, Shrimp and Grits, as well as Bananas Foster. Below is a menu of all the food that will be served at the Gala, which is included in your ticket price!
Shrimp and Grits
Carved Beef with Henry Bain Sauce
Bananas Foster
Passed Hors D’Ouevres:
Feta stuffed cherry tomatoes
Edible spoons with Shrimp Ceviche
Stuffed chicken rolls
Other available food choices:
Grilled vegetables
Crab Dip
Italian Sausage dip
Gorgonzola torte
Cheese Slaw
Pimiento cheese
Sweet potato biscuits with pork loin
Assorted fruit tray
Bok Choy salad
Summer orzo salad
Desserts:
Kentucky Derby Pie
Hummingbird Cake
Peanut butter Pie
Wedding Cookies
2nd Annual Derby Day Gala – a huge success!
May 3, 2010 by Larry
Filed under Community, Our Events, Scholarship for the Arts
It was a beautiful day on Saturday, May 1 at Rockledge for the 2nd Annual Derby Day Gala fundraiser. It was a little warm until the sun set, so all those big hats and cool seer sucker suite came in 
handy! The food was great, the beverages refreshing, and Hoppie Vaughn and the Pace Brothers sounded terrific. Nearly 150 “good looking” people attended and enjoyed the Kentucky Derby and the view from Mill Mountain – while supporting the Festival in the Park Scholarship for the Arts.
See photos from the 2010 Derby Day Gala.
Food is just one of the stars of Derby Day Gala!
April 9, 2010 by Larry
Filed under Community, Our Events, Scholarship for the Arts
Photo Courtesy of Rod Dixon
There’s a lot of elements that made last year’s inaugural Derby Day Gala fundraiser such a huge success. The breathtaking view from Mill Mountain, the elegance of the Rockledge home, the graciousness of our event hosts, the enthusiasm of the Derby Day Gala committee members, the great looking people in their Derby attire, the fine wine, the mint juleps, and even the Kentucky Derby itself. But certainly one of the big attractions of the event was the food prepared by the chefs and students of the Virginia Western School of Culinary Arts. Not only was the menu absolutely delicious, beautiful in presentation and plentiful – but the Culinary Arts students were so enthusiastic and enjoyable – they became a big hit themselves.
Photo Courtesy of Rod Dixon
The menu for this year’s Derby Day Gala, on May 1, 2010, has been tweaked to add even more classic Derby culinary treats. It will feature action stations with carved turkey hot browns, shrimp & grits, strip lion with Henry Bains sauce. Also expect pork lion on sweet potato biscuits, grilled vegetables, Rumaki-scallops wrapped in bacon, Italian sausage dip, Kentucky Burgoo to name just a few. Of course no Derby Day Gala would be complete without Kentucky Derby pie and other sweet treats!
Invitations have been mailed to last year’s guests. We’ve had overwhelming response and the buzz has started. Capacity to the Derby Day Gala is limited, but if you are interested in joining us I bet we can find room – and some food! The Derby Day Gala is a fund raising event for Festival in the Park and it’s Scholarship for the Arts Program. Your tax deductible contribution of $100.00 per person guarantees you a great experience and a few keep sakes. Event begins at 4:00pm- 9:30pm. Oh yea, we understand that Derby hat sales at Roanoke Valley retailers is already brisk – so we suggest you get started on your attire ASAP! See this web site for Derby Hat ideas and tips.
Email Debbie McClure or call (540) 580-2526 for more information.
See photos from the 2009 Derby Day Gala!
Photo Courtesy of Rod Dixon
Photo Courtesy of Rod Dixon
Photo Courtesy of Rod Dixon
Photo Courtesy of Rod Dixon
