Pacific Pride Foundation’s Royal Ball & Southern Brunch

“Our best response to acts of hate in our [LGBT] community is to come together in solidarity for the safety of all those who call Santa Barbara home.”
– Pacific Pride Foundation

THE REASON Pacific Pride Foundation’s Third Annual Royal Ball brought gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and straight supporters together for a weekend of wild fun, on April 12th & 13 at the Bacara Resort & Spa.

THE REVELERS The notable guests and supporters included Billy Baldwin, Tippi Hedren, Fred Willard, Joanna Kerns, Dan Bucatinsky & Don Roos, Candis Cayne, Oliver Goldstick & Bud Leslie, Shaun Cassidy, Andrew Firestone, Gary Newman, Alan Parsons, Bradley Bredeweg, Jamie Kellner, and Rrivre Davies.

THE RECAP  On the evening of the 12th, the Royal Ball transported everyone to “Gay Paris”, as never seen before. The evening, filled with glamour and opulence, featured royal butlers who served cocktails and canapés on silver trays beneath the “Eiffel Tower”, while beautiful dancers and performance artists delighted the crowd.

Toward the end of the evening, according to Billy Baldwin, one guest who had enjoyed one too many martinis thought it was a wise idea to climb to the top of the “Eiffel Tower”. This caused quite a commotion, but apparently that guest found a safe return to his handlers and the festivities continued.

For the first time ever, a second phase of the event was added for the morning after the ball, on the 13th. The Southern Gospel Brunch hosted on the Bacara’s Ocean Lawn provided the much needed “hair of the dog”. The event raised raised $250,000 (net), and the funds directly benefit the programs and services of Pacific Pride Foundation, which include HIV/AIDS care and prevention, as well as LGBT outreach.

Photos of the Royal Ball 2014 by Isaac Hernandez. Event Producer Merryl Brown Events. Decor Design Rrivre Works Event Design and Rentals. Lighting By Ray Thompson. Floral Design SR Hogue & Co.