Hermann Park Tops Off 15 Years of Hats in the Park Lunch on a Supremely Springy Day

Jenny Antill
Hermann Park Tops Off 15 Years of Hats in the Park Lunch on a Supremely Springy Day

Holly Radom, Audrey White, Allie Fields and Julie Longoria Chen

IT SEEMS LIKE Houston has been toggling between winter and summer for a few weeks now, but during a stretch of true springtime weather last week, Hermann Park Conservancy hosted the Hats in the Park luncheon at McGovern Centennial Gardens.


This year marked the 15th anniversary of the occasion, which has had a measurable impact on Hermann Park and its six-million visitors each year. Event co-chairs Kristy Bradshaw, Kelley Lubanko and Leigh Smith greeted guests during the Champagne reception preceding the seated lunch on the verdant lawn. Bradshaw shared updates regarding the park's forthcoming McWilliams Dog Park and Commons projects — the latter of which will include a "40-foot rocket ship slide and whimsical carousel" — and Mayor Sylvester Turner also gave remarks, praising the Conservancy for its preservation and betterment of the community resource.

The afternoon honored Ann Short and Susie Criner, who chaired the very first Hats in the Park lunch in 2008. In total, the event raised upwards of $520,000 — a record! Hats off to that.

Valerie Dieterich and Roslyn Bazzelle Mitchell

Alex Blair, Brigitte Kalai and Aliza Fan Dutt

Stephanie Tsuru, Elizabeth Wagett, Katie Tsuru and Donae Chramosta

Alice Mao Brams and Yoon Smith

Sanford and Susie Criner

Bethany Buchanan, Hallie Vanderhider, Fady Armanious and Chita Craft

Rachel Solar, Brooke Bently-Gunst, Lindsey Brown and Maria Vilchez-Lowrey

Chelsea Pacey, Lori Speier, Anne Calder

Nicole Katz, Carolyn Tanner and Tracy Hale

Demetra Jones, Kenneth Allen and Doreen Stoller

Nicola Fuentes Toubia and DeVaun Barbir

Duyen Nguyen, Debbie Festari and Carrie Brandsberg-Dahl

Lynn Wyatt

Heather Waters, Kim Tutcher, Brenda Love and Jana Arnoldy

Lesia Crumpton-Young and Anne-Laure Stephens

Kelley Lubanko, Leigh Smith and Kristy Bradshaw

Anne Calder, Rae Solberg, Jayne Johnston and Heather Safi

Isabel David and Rishma Mohamed

Kate Bellin

Katie Forney and Linsay Radcliffe

Style
Meet Brian Boyter, New High-End Residential Broker with an Unique Background

BRIAN BOYTER IS a Houston native with an interesting background in real estate. After an impressive 16-year tenure managing commercial transactions in a Fortune 500 Real Estate Investment Trust, he recently made the shift to high-end residential brokerage. The experience left him uniquely suited to thrive in the sometimes-emotional world of buying or selling a home.

Keep Reading Show less

Alex Au-Yeung (photo by Jenn Duncan)

WHEN IT OPENED a few months ago, The Woodlands outpost of acclaimed Katy restaurant Phat Eatery was billed as Alex Au-Yeung's dream restaurant. Unfortunately, Au-Yeung never got to see it come to fruition, as he passed away earlier this year. But the James Beared-nominated chef-owner certainly left his mark — and in honor of what would be his 53rd birthday, operating partners Kevin Lee and Marvin He have organized two pop-up tribute dinners.

Keep Reading Show less
Food

WHAT DOES IT mean to be "rent-burdened"? The phrase describes those who spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing, and it's become an increasingly relevant part of the larger conversation about the American economy in a post-Covid world.

Keep Reading Show less
Home + Real Estate