The Grand Dame of the Dallas Social Season Dazzles With A New York Holiday — Inside The 73rd Annual Crystal Charity Ball

Texas' Own Rockettes, Ice Skaters, and More Transform Hilton Anatole Into Central Park

By Billy Fong // Jan 14, 2025

Photography Nate Rehlander

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The Kilgore Rangerettes did high kicks in their sparkly sequined outfits as the big band played on the stage during the Crystal Charity Ball. (Photo by Nate Rehlander)

Another busy Dallas event season has officially come to an end with the 73rd annual Crystal Charity Ball at the Hilton Anatole.

The song that was playing as I searched for my outfit for the grand dame of the 2024 Dallas social season (other highlights included Cattle Baron’s Ball and Art Ball) was Nina Simone’s “Exactly Like You.” It had been a drizzly day, but I knew that a little rain wouldn’t keep the ladies from donning the most black tie of black tie gowns for the annual occasion. The lyrics to Miz Simone’s classic seemed oh-so appropriate: “You make me feel so grand. I wanna give this world to you.”

Under the leadership of ball chair Cheryl Joyner, this year’s hallowed affair was titled New York Holiday and drew 1,500 guests to the Hilton Anatole for an evening that raised more than $7 million for seven children’s charities. As always, the ballroom had been magically transformed by designer Tom Addis. Instead of being in Dallas’ dreary weather all day, we all felt like we had perhaps been ice skating at Rockefeller Center and walked back to our pied a terre on Park Avenue to dress for a night of dancing.

Crystal Charity Ball Dallas (Photo by Nate Rehlander) — Entering the Hilton Anatole, guests were transported to New York City in December. (Photo by Nate Rehlander)

The entrance was always a grand one at Crystal Charity Ball, with photographers snapping shots of the glorious gowns with a backdrop reminiscent of Central Park with life-size trees capped with faux snow. As guests sipped cocktails, ice skaters did pirouettes on the mini-rink that had been installed. During the pre-dinner portion of the agenda, we all made bids on the various silent auction items (which netted more than $700,000) and tried our luck at the casino tables. When the ballroom doors were eventually opened a gorgeous scene unfolded with Texas’ own version of the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes, the Kilgore Rangerettes, doing high kicky kicks in their sparkly sequined outfits as the big band played on the stage.

Given that it is the ideal opportunity to bring out the most photo-worthy dresses all the usual suspects were represented: Oscar, Carolina, and Dallas’ own Nardos. Some of the standout ladies I spied on that evening included Kristin Hallam and Tonya Rice in ravishing red, Lisa Cooley, Melinda Knowles, Maggie Kipp, Shelle Sills, Kim Hext, and Sabrina Harrison.

Gibbs Henderson, Billy Fong, Marjon Zabihi Henderson (Photo by Nate Rehlander)

At midnight, Joiner passed the baton to 2025 Ball Chair Mary Martha Pickens knowing that her year had raised more than $7 million for the 2024 beneficiaries — Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum; HHM Health; Methodist Health Care System; Parkland Health Foundation; Center for Integrative Counseling and Psychology; Traffick911 and Vogel.

Holiday Decor

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Spotted clinking glasses and dancing the night away included Claire and Dwight Emanuelson; Eiseman Jewels Betsy and Richard Eiseman; Annette Simmons and Gage Pritchard; Jane Rozelle Humphreys; Katherine and Austin Wyker; Ball-Chair elect Jennifer Dix (2026 chair) and Richard Dix; from the Neiman’s team Marjon Zabihi Henderson, Joshua Trevino, Mary McGreey, and Ryan Ross; former Ball Chair Pat McEvoy and Charles McEvoy; Christi and Hal Urschel; Aileen and Jack Pratt with their daughter Caroline Cohn; Amy Green; and Pete West.