Party in the Park! Inside Last Night’s Fortune-themed Fundraiser for the Central Park Conservancy Gala

The Annual Central Park Conservancy Gala fell on November 20, an unseasonably warm night, which meant the leaves were still colored in an autumnal medley and coats weren't mandatory—good things for those gala attendees who walked through the park to enter the party tent at Rumsey Playfield near 72nd Street.

Betsy Smith, president and CEO of the Conservancy; and event co-chairs Evelyn and David McCabe; Melanie and Matthew McLennan; Gillian and Sylvester Miniter; and Mo Sakurai and Harry Taylor, welcomed guests with a theme—as has become the custom for the fundraiser. If last year's pre-empted 2024’s Wicked craze with an Emerald City theme (and performances from Talia Suskauer and Kara Lindsay of Broadway's Wicked), this year’s theme was Fortune’s Fête. All things celestial, clairvoyant, and astrological were referenced in the event’s programming—from the crystal ball dessert (which needed to be cracked to reveal a chocolate cake) to the two palm readers who each had lengthy queues throughout the night from gala-goers keen to know if this year would end with love, fortune, or both.

Presented by Harry Winston, Inc., the event welcomed over 400 guests to support the Conservancy’s mission of maintaining Central Park as a serene escape for New Yorkers and visitors alike. “The Fall Gala is a time to honor the enduring love and support Central Park inspires,” Smith said. “It’s a chance for us all to celebrate this cherished gift to the city.”

Following dinner and many William Grant & Sons-fueled cocktails, the Conservancy’s Young Associates hosted a lively dessert and dance celebration co-chaired by Zachary Weiss and others before they all moved on to an after-party at the just-opened Casa Tua at The Surrey, A Corinthia Hotel. By the end of the night, more than $1.2 million had been raised.