RockRevolt Magazine was honored to be in attendance at what was the most highly-coveted event invites in all of Louisville, KY this weekend, aside from the Derby itself – the inaugural Hermitage Grand Gala!
Hosted by Steve Wilson, his wife, Laura Lee Brown, and Junior and Doris Bridgeman, this exclusive affair was one of the most highly sought invitations of Derby weekend. The apropos red rose-petaled-covered carpet (40 thousand of them!) led guests into this star-studded extravaganza which was meticulously designed to please the palate and the senses; held in a true philanthropic spirit to benefit numerous Kentucky charities (please see links below).
The Heritage Grand Gala was a celebration of epic proportions; attended by some of the most notable names in entertainment, sports and business worlds – all mixed together in a magically harmonious sea of haute couture, taste and merriment. The affair was an eclectic yet elegant soiree, which offered a little bit of everything for all in attendance. When you combine celebrities, great food, the best of elixirs, horse racing and Chris Rock as the evening’s emcee; throw in rousing performances by Darius Rucker and comedian Martin Lawrence, along with DJ Cassidy spinning music – well, it’s a beautiful thing – all which contributed a generous amount of much-needed funds right back into the community!
The Gala was held at the prestigious Hermitage Farm, in picturesque Oldham County, right outside of Louisville, home of Bourbon, Mint Juleps, and of course – the celebrated Kentucky Derby. This beautiful farm has bred and boasted a bevvy of equine champions that have gone on to win at the Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks, and Breeders’ Cup, as well as more than 200 Stakes winners.
Rich in tradition, The Hermitage is lovingly overseen by Wilson and Brown, who also own/operate the five-star 21c Museum Hotels and the Kentucky Bison Co.. The pair have managed to conceptualize and create what is destined to be yet another time-honored chapter in the Hermitage repertoire of excellence and “THE pre-Derby event” for many years to come: The Hermitage Grand Gala!
Walk Down the Red Carpet with RockRevolt at the Inaugural Hermitage Grand Gala!
Darius Rucker ROCKS!
Stellar Performance by Ne-Yo!
Photos by: Patrick Desmond
Connect with The Hermitage Grand Gala (click icons):
Proceeds will benefit:
The West End School
Kentucky School of Art at Spalding University
Cardinal Covenant Scholarship at the University of Louisville
Kosair Children’s Hospital through the Children’s Hospital Foundation
The University of Louisville Autism Center
Though outside of our normal genre of coverage, RockRevolt Co-Founder/Managing Executive Editor, Alice Roques, calls Louisville home, so it was a special treat and honor to attend the Hermitage Grand Gala! We still wore black…but it was Ralph Lauren and Hugo Boss. \m/ Thank you to Patrick Desmond for capturing the evening’s festivities in photographs.
