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Aug 2009  |  By Marina Rasmussen  |  Comments

GALApalooza 2009

The night was perfect. The city's skyline sparkled almost as much as the partygoers, who were surrounded by Chicago's finest in fashion, food and music at last week's GALApalooza in Grant Park.

And Make It Better helped to ensure that Parkways raised more money in their silent auction and gained more North Shore supporters than ever. ...



The night was perfect.

The city's skyline sparkled almost as much as the partygoers, who were surrounded by Chicago's finest in fashion, food and music at last week's GALApalooza in Grant Park. 

And Make It Better helped to ensure that Parkways raised more money in their silent auction and gained more North Shore supporters than ever.



This 3rd annual GALApalooza event sponsored by Parkways Foundation on the eve of Lollapalooza featured all-white outdoor lounges, a behind-the-scenes look at the Lollapalooza venue and performances by two of Lollapalooza's much talked about bands: Hey Champ and Vampire Weekend.

The crowd was a sea of bright colors and patterns, but the most popular GALA outfit? A maxi dress and sky-high wedge heels accessorized with bangles … and plenty of them. It's safe to say, though, that the tall blonde with a dress crafted from blue cocktail napkins made the most memorable GALApalooza fashion statement.



As if the fashion wasn't enough, the food surpassed expectations. Guests could choose between three variations on a famous Chicago staple: the hotdog. Meat lovers munched on Applewood bacon wrapped hotdogs with an apricot relish while vegetarians delighted in the "Athens Falafel Dog" with diced cucumbers, tomato, onions and tzatziki sauce. Those with a spicier palette enjoyed the "Little Pilsen," a hotdog garnished with poblanos, corn, queso fresco and tomatillo sauce.



But the real crowd pleaser—and my personal favorite—was the cold sesame soba noodles topped with either an egg roll or a pot sticker and served with chopsticks. This eclectic food buffet, paired with a SmartWater, Vitamin Water or any other array of complimentary beverages, made for the perfect summer treat.



After a delicious meal and a few trips to the top-shelf open bar including Titos Handmade Vodka and Kilo Kai's Spiced Rum, GALA goers congregated in front of the stage to sing and dance along to Chicago's very own Hey Champ as they played their worldwide hit, "Cold Dust Girl." Hey Champ also debuted a song they wrote about Chicago, which they had never played live. 

Vampire Weekend took the Petrillo Music Shell stage next, as everyone bopped along to the very popular song "Oxford Comma." The performers, which included opening act DJ White Shadow, wowed the crowd.




The behind-the-scenes stars for the evening, however, were the women of Make It Better, who conducted a very successful auction that had GALA goers bidding on hot ticket items, including a Chicago Cubs signed Sandberg jersey, autographed guitars and a week at the legendary Bitter End Yacht Club in the British Virgin Islands. At the end of the bidding frenzy, the amount raised in the auction tripled last year's total.