On The Circuit: Hermitage Gala Preview Party

Guests entered Elizabeth Waller’s beautiful Belle Meade home to be the first to hear news on this year’s The Hermitage Gala, and they were not to be disappointed. Alongside Honorary Chair Mary Nelson Wade, the dynamic team of co-chairs — Marees Choppin, Irwin Fisher, Pam Koban, DeeDee Wade — revealed delicious details regarding this event.

Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage, known as “the home of the people’s president,” is a beloved landmark in Middle Tennessee that provides education and enrichment opportunities to people of all ages. The writer of this article herself vividly remembers participating in the Junior Docent program and explaining a “Jacob’s ladder” toy outside of the house. As one of — if not the — most accurately preserved presidential homes in the nation, The Hermitage welcomes thousands of visitors every year; UNESCO representatives visited the home recently, labeling this “a thousand-year World Heritage Site” — one that can and should be preserved for the next thousand years.

Because the past three years have been quite the rollercoaster for humanity, Hermitage leadership, led by President and CEO Howard Kittell, is looking at the site with dynamic, fresh eyes after COVID, rebranding and finding innovative ways to maintain interest. This is headlined by the launch of a renewed endowment campaign, featuring aggressive goals to keep The Hermitage: “vital, viable and relevant.”

A formidable piece of this campaign, this year’s Hermitage Gala looks to be the finest event yet. With Amos Gott at the planning helm and Flavor Catering at the culinary reins, The Hermitage Gala co-chairs made an exciting announcement: The 2023 Gala is returning to The Hermitage, having been off-site for the past few years.

The Hermitage Gala will be taking a step that several organizations have implemented recently: In tiering the ticket prices, the Gala will be able to attract both veteran supporters and budding philanthropists alike. The Howlin’ Brothers and Phil Vassar have both been tapped as the evening’s entertainment, alongside cocktails, a seated dinner, a live auction and dancing.

After mingling and chatting, guests departed and now eagerly await late September and this exciting soirée.