Casita Maria Fiesta Kick Off Party

Jacqueline Weld Drake, the chairman of the Casita Maria Center for Arts Education, opened her art-filled Park Avenue residence for a cocktail party announcing the return of the Fiesta Gala on October 11. This dinner dance has been a centerpiece of the New York social scene for 88 years and this is their first outing since the pandemic. This year’s gala will honor Tony Bechara, Cesar Conde, and Gaby Pacheco with Casita’s Gold Medal of Honor.

Jackie shared, “Tony has dedicated his career to the Hispanic community through his art and his philanthropy. Cesar serves as Chairman of the NBCUniversal News Group and is the first Hispanic to lead a major English-language broadcast news organization! Gaby is a courageous advocate for immigrant rights, including the DREAM Act. Their efforts in life tie back to Casita Maria’s mission to create a safe and welcoming community that enriches and uplifts youth and families towards success through shared cultural, art and educational experiences and programs.”

Guests included Afsaneh Akhtari, Dianne and Maurice Batista, Edgar Batista, Liliana Cavendish, Beth Rudin DeWoody, Michele Gerber Klein, Mai Hallingby, William Ivey Long, Christopher Mason, Ben Rodriguez-Cubeñas, Victor Roquette, Marc Rosen, Jean Shafiroff, Hunt Slonem, Barbara Tober, and many more.

Casita Maria Center for Arts & Education is a non-profit headquartered in the South Bronx, established in 1934 as the first charitable organization to serve Latino children in New York City. Casita Maria offers high-quality, innovative arts after-school programming to over 1,000 students a year, as well as reaching an additional 40,000 community members through our Creative Arts programs of professional exhibitions and performances. Their programming provides music, dance, and studio art lessons.