Join the Party!

5:30PM
VIP Cocktail Reception underneath the Bourbon Street Tent 

7:00PM
Performance by Preservation Hall Jazz Band 

 
8:30PM
Bourbon Street Party

Cocktail Attire

McCarter’s Gala is an annual tradition in our community – a time to come together, raise a glass, and celebrate the performing arts. We hope you’ll join us for delectable food, festive drinks, and a first-rate performance by the incomparable Preservation Hall Jazz Band. Come to Bourbon Street (right here in Princeton) for this fun-filled evening, and McCarter’s biggest fundraising event of the year. Your support helps sustain our artistic and educational programming throughout the year. Thank you so much – we can’t wait to see you there. 

About Preservation Hall Jazz Band

"The Past and Promise of American Music...”

—Rolling Stone Magazine

Flamekeepers of the New Orleans jazz legacy, Preservation Hall Jazz Band have been holding court at their famed French Quarter venue since the 1960s. Founded by tuba player Allan Jaffe and his wife Sandra, Preservation Hall has featured a long cadre of legendary New Orleans musicians over the years and issued a number of albums including 1977's New Orleans, Vol.1, 1998's Because of You, and 2008's The Hurricane Sessions, all of which showcase the group's rootsy, soulful brand of traditional New Orleans jazz. With Allan Jaffe's passing in 1987, leadership of the band was handed down to his son, tuba player Ben Jaffe, who further pushed the group to evolve. While standards and traditional New Orleans jazz repertoire remain their core focus, they've transformed into a vibrantly cross-pollinated ambassador for New Orleans. Albums like 2011's American Legacies, 2013's That's It!, and 2017's So It Is, have found them exploring original compositions, Afro-Cuban rhythms, and collaborating with artists beyond the jazz spectrum.

LEARN MORE

Corporate Sponsors

Interested in Corporate Sponsorship? There are many ways to get involved. Please contact us for more information about tailored corporate packages and program ads. Contact Director of Development Piper Burrows at pburrows@mccarter.org or 609-258-6544.

For inquiries into corporate reservations and benefits, please contact Piper Burrows, Director of Development, at pburrows@mccarter.org or 609-258-6544.

Silent Auction

Check out our Silent Auction! The website is now live so you can view these amazing items. Please note that the auction will be open for bidding on MONDAY, APRIL 10 and will close at 10:00PM the evening of the Gala, SATURDAY, APRIL 22.

All funds raised from the silent auction will support McCarter’s annual activities including our artistic programing and arts education classes and events, which serve over 5,000 learners of all ages each year through in-school residencies, community partnership programming, student matinees, and after-school and camp programs.

The Gala Committee

Gala Co-Chairs

James Barrood

Kim Swann

Gala Ambassadors

Daniela Bonafede-Chhabra
Rochelle Calhoun
Carmelo Cintron
Deb Haines
Kathy Herring
Ellyn Ito
Sunita Kramer
Patty Leuchten
Betsy McNeilly
Wilma Nurse
Arslan Mian
Atul Prasher
Carmen Quinones
Mike Rose
Neha Shah
Sid Yu
Ileen Irving
Emma Briguad

Trustees

Elliot Asarnow
James Barrood
Leonard J. Berlik
Daniela Bonafede-Chhabra
Claudina Bonetti
Rochelle Calhoun
Paul Decker
Sharon Dietrich
Jill Dolan
Ben Hammond
James P. Herring
Duncan MacMillan
Rita McGrath
Elizabeth McNeilly
Rhonda Medina
Rohit Mehrotra
Arslan Mian
Robert A. Mintz
Wilma Nurse
Aquatia L. Owens
Douglas Palmer
Hilary A. Parker, Ex-Officio
Pamela Pruitt
Karen Schmitt
Neha Desai Shah
Kim Swann
Mark Thierfelder
Anne M. VanLent
David Walker

For questions about our 2023 Gala please contact Shelby Siwczak, Manager of Individual Giving and Special Events, at ssiwczak@mccarter.org or 609-258-6542

McCarter Gala 2023