Paul Carlon

(HUDSON, N.Y.) – Hudson Opera House (HOH) will host its 20th annual gala benefit, Gala Veinte! — a Latin theme affair — on Saturday, September 28, 2013 at 6:30 p.m. at the Basilica Hudson’s reclaimed 19th century converted factory. The event, which includes cocktails, dinner, and dance instruction, features entertainment by New York City-based Latin jazz artists Paul Carlon and Grupo Los Santos.

The evening will begin with a cocktail reception courtesy of Mionetto Prosecco and Fairview Wines and Spirits, where guests will have a chance to mingle and bid on the silent auction including art from over twenty local and international artists as well as auction donations from all over the Hudson Valley. Guests are encouraged to partake in festive bolero-salsa dance instruction, followed by a seated dinner and an evening of dancing to the captivating sounds of the international jazz artists Paul Carlon and Grupo Los Santos.

This is HOH’s primary fundraiser of the year and one of the major sources of support for its community programs and ongoing building restoration. Last year’s proceeds helped make possible more than 800 HOH programs and events-most of them free-for a diverse audience of more than 57,000 from all walks of life.

This year’s silent art auction is on currently on display in the Opera House Center Hall Gallery and is open to the public ahead of the event; early bids can be left throughout with the final sale culminating at the gala on September 28. Purchasers need not be present at the gala to bid, absentee and early bids are welcome.

Gary Schiro, executive director of the Hudson Opera House, states the importance of the party by saying, “The funds raised from Hudson Opera House’s annual gala are vital in ensuring high quality programming and the ongoing restoration of the historic 1855 building.”

The Hudson Opera House offers a year-round schedule of arts and cultural programming in the former Hudson City Hall, which houses New York State’s oldest surviving theatre. Since opening the first restored “West” room in December 1997, five additional rooms on the first floor have been rehabilitated, within which thousands of cultural and educational programs have been presented, 1025 in the last year alone. The Hudson Opera House provides free or low-cost cultural offerings every week of the year. Ongoing programs include concerts, readings, lectures, exhibitions, theatre and dance presentations, after-school programs, workshops, classes and community arts events like the annual Winter Walk on Warren Street produced by the Hudson Opera House.

Gala tickets begin at $175 per person. To purchase tickets, become a sponsor or HOH member, bid on the silent auction or further information about this event, please call the Opera House at 518.822.1438 or email Dale Stewart. Tickets are also available online at Hudson Opera House.