Charity may begin at home, but it doesn’t have to stay there. Galas for good causes across the nation can give you an even better reason to pack your bags than wanderlust. Besides helping others, you’re likely to experience the efforts of elite entertainers, caterers and florists while rubbing elbows with local luminaries — and sometimes international celebrities. On the financial side, host hotels frequently offer attractive discounts to gala patrons, while much of a ticket’s price may be tax-deductible. Here are some of our favorite charity galas, in chronological order:
San Francisco Ballet’s Opening Night Gala
San Francisco
One of the most glittery events on the City by the Bay’s social calendar, the San Francisco Ballet’s Opening Night Gala makes the most of its spectacular setting in City Hall, a Beaux-Arts beauty built in 1915. Patrons enjoy a cocktail reception and dinner under its elegant dome, then cross the street to a one-night-only performance in the equally elegant War Memorial Opera House. As an encore, they return to City Hall for a vivacious after-party with live music, sweets and savories, drinks and dancing. The gala raises funds for a variety of the ballet company’s artistic initiatives, including new works; scholarships for San Francisco Ballet School students; and community education programs for all ages.
2023 edition: January 19; 2024 date TBA
Tickets: TBA
amfAR Gala
Palm Beach
Bring your best black-tie getup for the annual amfAR Gala — this year held in Palm Beach — which raises money for AIDS and HIV-related research; access to prevention and treatment; and advocacy for public policy that supports international prevention and relief efforts. The star-studded evening includes cocktails, a seated dinner, luxurious live auction, musical performances and a tribute to annual honorees — this year the gala features Jane Krakowski, Kelly Clarkson and Jane Lynch. Previous year’s garnered support and attendence from such names as Milla Jovovich, Heidi Klum, Alan Cummings and multiple Kardashians.
2023 edition: March 11
Tickets: TBA
Red Cross Gala
San Francisco
In support of their on-going mission to aid humanitarian issues around the world, the Red Cross will be hosting their 28th Annual Red Cross Gala: Hope in a Changing World. Attendees should note that this year, for the first time, the gala will be held in a new Bay-area location, the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park. While there, guests can tour parts of the institution while enjoying an elite evening of dining, presentations and a celebration of past years and years to come.
2023 edition: March 24
Tickets: TBA
Mayor’s Masked Ball
Philadelphia
The attire is strictly formal — long gowns for women, black tie for men and masks for both — at the glamorous Mayor’s Masked Ball, a celebrity-attended fundraiser for the United Negro College Fund. Over the years, among many things, UNCF has helped hundreds of students pay for their education at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). The Ball is hosted in multiple cities this year, not just Philadelphia, making it a premier social event for many across the country. The evening also includes a reception, silent and live auctions, dinner, dancing and much more.
2023 edition: March 25; more dates available
Tickets: TBA; 2019 tickets begin at $750
Mack, Jack & McConaughey
Austin
A two-day event that includes a celebrity golf tournament, a fashion show and gala concert, the Mack, Jack & McConaughey fundraiser takes its name from renowned college football coach Mack Brown, country musician Jack Ingram and Hollywood star, Austin-native Matthew McConaughey. Their fundraiser donates proceeds to community nonprofits involved in children’s education, health and wellness, with more than $13 million distributed over the last decade. Previous headliners of the concert in Moody Theater include Chris Stapleton, The Chicks, Miranda Lambert and Toby Keith; Camila Alves McConaughey hosts the fashion show. This year’s headliner is Garth Brooks.
2023 edition: April 27-28
Tickets: TBA; 2019 gala concert tickets started at $99.
Leukemia Ball
Washington, D.C.
Since its launch in 1988, the Leukemia Ball has amassed more than $65 million for the 70-year-old Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, which currently funds more than 300 research projects to cure blood cancers and ensures patients’ access to the treatments it helped pioneer — such as chemotherapy and stem-cell transplants. The silent auction and entertainment are typically also memorable; in 2023, The Ball will feature entertainment from Justin Willman, a renowned comedian magician, and DJ Jazzy Jeff, a DJ and music producer with a three-decade long career. Held at the Marriott Marquis in D.C. — more details to come.
2023 edition: May 13
Tickets: From $1,000
San Diego Zoo Food, Wine & Brew Celebration
San Diego
“Party animals” takes on a new meaning at the San Diego Zoo’s annual Food, Wine & Brew Celebration. This adults-only event promises animal exhibits, live entertainment, delicious food and craft beverages — brought in from participating restaurants, breweries and spirit makers — all woven throughout the Zoo grounds. San Diego Chargers Rolf Benirschke founded the event, then known as Kicks for Critters, in 1980 as a fundraiser for the Zoo’s conservation research efforts. This year, proceeds benefit the nonprofit San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, which seeks to end species extinction worldwide.
2023 edition: September 23
Tickets: TBA
HRC Chicago Gala & Auction
Chicago
The Human Rights Campaign advocates for LGBTQ equality across the country. The HRC Chicago Gala & Auction is one of the largest LGBTQ fundraisers in the Midwest, honoring local leadership while throwing an excellent dinner party — black-tie optional — for hundreds of patrons. Hotel packages make it easy to create a weekend getaway around the event, which begins with a large silent auction and includes live entertainment; the Fairmont Chicago at Millennium Park is a previous host.
2023 edition: TBA; likely in mid-November
Tickets: TBA; 2019 tickets began at $100 — $325 with hotel stay.
Improvisations Gala
New Orleans
The New Orleans Jazz Museum’s inaugural Improvisations Gala was only in 2018, but the onsite benefit has won fans with its elegant VIP cocktail hour, performances by Grammy Award winners and local jazz legends, an extensive silent auction, illuminated gardens and open-bar libations to pair with French, Cajun and Creole cuisine. Proceeds support interactive exhibits that promote jazz as an innovative and “historically pivotal” musical art form, according the museum. The gala also funds the museum’s ongoing educational and musical programs.
2023 edition: TBA; previously held on December 3, 2022.
Tickets: TBA; 2019 tickets begin at $100.
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Jeanne Cooper, former San Francisco Chronicle Travel editor, writes frequently about the Wine Country for Marin Magazine and other publications. She is particularly fond of wines from the Alexander and Dry Creek valleys. She supports ongoing work of Ecumenical Hunger Project in East Palo Alto and the disaster response efforts of World Central Kitchen and San Francisco-Marin Food Bank.
