Step back into the glitz and glamour of the Roaring Twenties with our Gatsby-themed dinner experience on Wednesday, July 23, 6-9 p.m. It will be an evening of elegance, indulgence, and intrigue, all for just $75 per person.
We’ll start the evening with drinks and hors d'oeuvres served on the south grand porch (weather permitting, of course—Gatsby can’t control the weather, despite his wealth and meticulous planning!). Let the silky-smooth voice of Bianca Sulanke serenade you. Feel free to don your best flapper fringe or dapper pinstripes, but dressing up is totally optional. Come as you are—or as you wish you were during the times.
Keep your peepers peeled for photographer Michelle Kinsey—she’ll be capturing all the glitz and glam as guests make their grand entrance.
And don’t be surprised if Krista Flynn, the creative dame behind the house’s feathers, pearls, and roaring décor, offers you a smoke in true flapper fashion.
Our dinner menu, curated by Ball State Catering, is inspired by the decadent world of The Great Gatsby and the lavish flavors of the 20s. As narrator Nick Carraway described:
"On buffet tables, garnished with glistening hors-d’oeuvre, spiced baked hams crowded against salads of harlequin designs and pastry pigs and turkeys bewitched to a dark gold."
After mingling and dining in Gatsby-worthy style, we’ll head upstairs to the 3rd floor to dive into our featured program, “Prohibition and the American Dream.”
PROGRAM
How did America’s temperance movement evolve into the nationwide push for Prohibition? This program explores the social and political forces that hardened public attitudes toward alcohol and led to its eventual ban. We’ll examine the wide-ranging impact of Prohibition on American life and consider the lessons—if any—that emerged from both its embrace and its rejection. Have we truly learned from this chapter in history, and have those lessons shaped our actions since?
PRESENTER
Steve Ealy served as a Senior Fellow at Liberty Fund for thirty years before retiring in November 2023. He now works as a consultant and is currently writing a book on novelist and poet Robert Penn Warren.
His academic work includes published articles on Robert Penn Warren, Ralph Ellison, the Qur’an, and The Federalist Papers. He holds a B.A. in Political Science from Furman University, an M.A. in Government from Claremont Graduate University, and a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Georgia.
ITENERARY
Reception, 6-6:30 p.m.
Dinner, 6:30-7:45 p.m.
Program, 8-9 p.m.
This is an age 21 and over event. Visit the WEBSITE for more information and to reserve your spot! Only 16 spaces remaining!
E.B. and Bertha C Ball Center
400 Minnetrista Boulevard
Muncie, IN 47306
765-285-8975
ebball@bsu.edu