Scenes from the Klyde Warren Park 2024 President’s Circle Party — A Garden Gathering at Nancy and Randy Best’s

As flowers bloomed and scattered storm clouds loomed, it was once again that time of year: the Klyde Warren Park’s President’s Circle annual garden party. On May 2, 2024, the prestigious event was held at the Preston Hollow home of park patrons Nancy and Randy Best. Thankfully, the spring showers took a break just in time to provide a rain-free evening.

The attire called for “spring chic” and I was half expecting to see some girls channeling their inner Morton Salt Girl in a stylish yellow cocktail frock. The annual KWP garden party was the brainchild of president and CEO, Kit Sawers. Since the first event in 2021, the parties have always been hosted at a patron’s home. Sites include Ann and Lee Hobson’s Highland Park home, Suzanne and Patrick McGee’s Volk Estates home, and Lisa and Clay Cooley’s Preston Hollow spread.

In advance of this year’s event, everyone was buzzing about the veritable museum the Bests have in galleries throughout their home. In addition to endowing the Park’s dancing fountains last year, they are major collectors. Picture if some of the favorite pieces you’d find at the Museum of Natural History were scattered about a home that looked plucked out of the New Orleans Garden District. Randy is an avid (some might say compulsive) collector of ancient artifacts. It started at a young age with small plant fossils and over decades has come to include dinosaur-era skulls and bones, ceremonial knives dating back centuries, and more fossils. Lest I forget what I encountered as I wandered about: life-size cave people. Ben Stiller could easily film the next installment of his Night at the Museum movies in their home.

In addition to being a walk through the history of civilization, the evening was also a chance for Sawers to share some details of the charity’s annual signature event, Party in the Park. Held this year on Thursday, October 10, the event will be helmed by honorary chair Lyda Hill and event chairs Jennifer and John Gates, Michelle and John Grimes, Amy and Jamie Mentgen, Stephanie and Todd Phillips, and Jenny and Jeff Staubach. The party (which includes a seated dinner) will feature an Elvis Presley tribute artist singing (hopefully belting out Viva La Dallas) in front of the choreographed waters of the Nancy Best Fountain, as well as ’90s country band Straight Tequila Night.

As the evening ended and guests made their way to their cars in the valet queue (after grabbing one of the party favor bags filled with a candle and jewelry cleaner courtesy of Eiseman Jewels, which is celebrating their 60^th anniversary in Dallas) I had a chance to catch up with a few including Sheila and Jody Grant, Lynn McBee, Annika Cail, Abigail Perpall, Doniphan Moore, Tanner Moussa, Lucy Wrubel, Lee Hobson, and Tanner Ewing.