Caper blasts off

While examining a slew of silent auction items at the Adventure Science Center's Caper fundraiser, we were approached by a man sporting giant chicken feet and a king's crown. "Hey, I know Divas is tonight, and I know they've got Kenny Rogers, but this is gonna' be a blast so you should stay here," he said. Yes, Prince's Hot Chicken was imploring us not to leave for Kenny Rogers Roasters. (Okay, Roasters is gone, but Kenny and chicken were both at Divas so this joke works.) So who had the better chicken?

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Hard to say. While Divas is always a homerun, the Caper unfailingly delivers an awesome party. With creative themes such as this year's "Nashville is Out of this World" which encouraged guests to use Nashville icons and the Center's new other-worldly offerings—the Sudekum Planetarium and Space Chase exhibit wing—as inspiration, party-goers can channel their inner Prince's Hot Chicken or Athenas to get geared up for their event. And they do. In addition to our favorite chicken prince Chris Thompson, there was no shortage of creative get-ups. Kem and Marilyn Hinton came as Mars and Venus with matching t-shirts that explained who really ruled the roost (hint: it's Venus), while a bold Kevin Wesley (it takes a confident man to wear tights) dressed as Cupid aimed his arrow at couples throughout the evening.

Co-chairs Jamie Scarbrough and Tommye Maddox revamped the Caper this year by hosting a pre-event patrons party that featured one of Nashville's great songwriters, Chuck Cannon, and singer extraordinaire Lari White, as well as tasty offerings from the folks at the Country Music Hall of Fame. As the evening progressed, secret judges scanned the crowd looking for the best costume. The well and/or interestingly-dressed crowd seemed oblivious to the judging as they danced the night away to the sounds of Electric Western Entertainment and took tours of the Planetarium.

With the moon overhead and stars in the sky, it was only appropriate that the Hubble Telescope Repair Crew flew away with the Caper Crown. Onward and upward!

—photographs by eric england