Houston’s Best Party Pictures of 2018 — the Stunning Shots That Defined a Wild Year

$50 Million Gifts, Young Professionals Gone Bridge Wacky and Birthday Craziness Galore

By Shelby Hodge // Jan 2, 2019

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A confetti blitz at Una Notte in Italia. Photo by Quy Tran

Saba Jawda, Ceron, Sarah Jawda at The Webster. Photo by Johnny Than

Alyssa Kilpatrick, Michel Mullett, Lucas Somoza, Lindsey Love, Bevin Dubrowski at Armandos for Legacy Community Health Services. Photo by Daniel Ortiz

Kevin Tofsky, Caitlin Ewing, Mollie Yarborough, Kaylen Burke, James Ewing at Miller Outdoor Theater for Hermann Park Conservancy. Photo by Quy Tran

Shafik Rifaat 80th birthday party at Sheridan and John Eddie Williams home.

Lynn Wyatt, Phoebe Tudor, Franci Neely cutting up at a private birthday bash. Photo by Dave Rossman

Julia & Will Robinson at the Children's Museum of Houston gala at the Corinthian. Photo by Emily Jaschke

Hermann Park Conservancy Hats in the Park luncheon in the McGovern Centennial Garden (Photo by Jenny Antill Clifton)

Sloan/Hall 20th anniversary party in Houston

The ultimate party guys Shannon Hall and Marcus Sloan at Sloan/Hall 20th anniversary party. Photography by Johnny Than

Beth Muecke, Christian Miranda, Vivian Wise at the Houston Grand Opera Ball at The Post Oak Hotel. Photo by Priscilla Dickson

Sue Smith rocks the hat scene with Travis Torrence at the 2018 Hats, Hearts & Horseshoes benefit for Bo's Place.

Children's Museum Houston Dia de los Muertos gala

Brooke O'Neil, Isla Jornayvaz at the Corinthian for the Children's Museum Houston. Photo by Alexander's Fine Portrait Design

Julie Marin, Amanda Sedley, Cassie Wood at Miller Outdoor Theater for Hermann Park Conservancy. Photo by Quy Tran

Anne Hyde Smither & John Kerr Smither at the Orange Show Gala. Photo by Emily Jaschke

Ashley Longshore at a media luncheon at the new offices of DPWPR in The Post Oak Thursday Oct. 04,2018.

Tilman Fertitta and Ashley Longshore cutting up in her pop-up gallery at the Post Oak Hotel. Photo by Dave Rossman

Chairs Brian McCulloch, Carrie Brandsberg-Dahl at Opera in the Heights. Photo by Priscilla Dickson

Gala return to the Wortham after Hurricane Harvey damages repaired

Patrick Summers, Lynn Wyatt, David Gockley at the HGO & Placido Coming Home gala. Photo by Jenny Antill Clifton

Tony Bradfield, Marguerite Swartz, Kevin Black at a private birthday bash. Photo by Dave Rossman

Hermann Park Conservancy Hats in the Park luncheon in the McGovern Centennial Garden (Photo by Jenny Antill Clifton)

Margaret Alkek Williams, Placido Domingo at HGO & Placido Coming Home Gala. Photo by Wilson Parish

Edward Sanchez, Jessica Rossman at her 50th birthday bash. Photo by Steve Lee Photography

Phoebe & Bobby Tudor at the Asia Society Tiger Ball. Photo by Jenny Antill Clifton

Chairs Shelly & Brian Hendry, Sue & Lester Smith, Limor & Stuart Smith at Texas Children's Hospital Legacy of Motown gala.
Photo by Wilson Parish

Chairs Shelly & Brian Hendry, Sue & Lester Smith, Limor & Stuart Smith at Texas Children's Hospital Legacy of Motown gala in October. (Photo by Wilson Parish)

Ceron, Becca Cason Thrash at a private birthday bash

Bob & Gracie Cavnar, Dr. Roland Maldonado at Jessica Rossman's birthday bash. Photo by Steve Lee Photography

HOUSTON, TX - OCTOBER 18: Nobu Founders Robert De Niro, Chef Nobu Matsuhisa, Meir Teper and friends break open a 5-gallon sake barrel at the Nobu Houston Sake Ceremony on October 18, 2018 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Rick Kern/Getty Images for Nobu)

Tilman Fertitta joins Nobu founders Robert De Niro, chef Nobu Matsuhisa and Meir Teper in the sake ceremony at Nobu Houston. Photo by Rick Kern, Getty Images

Sara Beth & Pierce Bush for Project 88 at Ecclesia. Photo by CatchLightGroup.com

Lena Nguyen, Katherine Garcia at the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation Young Professional Group Tacky Sweater party. Photo by Hung L. Truong

Trish Millard, Marita Fairbanks, Valerie Dieterich, Aliyya Stude at the River Oaks tennis tournament luncheon. Photo by Jacob Power

Oh, how we do like to dress up — in costume, in black tie, in urban chic. 2018 was a year of partying with multi-million dollar blockbusters filling the coffers of Houston nonprofits and all manner of occasions for dressing up and dressing down.

For example, in October, Sue and Lester Smith gave $50 million to Texas Children’s Hospital and raised a jaw-dropping $83 million, plenty of reasons to step out in style.

Throughout the past year, Houston has hosted everything from tacky sweater parties, to white-tie-and-tails balls, from an outdoor young professionals party on a pedestrian bridge to a swank fête at Nobu. The cocktails flowed. The dollars poured in. And a good time was had by all.

Birthday parties provided a few spectacular nights including Jessica Rossman‘s 50th, Jeff Bagwell‘s 50th and Shafik Rifaat‘s 80th. And the party gods smiled on the Houston Area Women’s Center when the Una Notte in Italia 20th anniversary fashion parade rocked the Royal Sonesta Hotel.

Let’s take a look at some of our favorite Houston party pictures from the past year, all with the promise of many good things to come in 2019. Click through the slideshow above and below this story for the best party pictures of the year. Enjoy.