Silver & Turquoise Board of Hostesses to Hold 72nd Annual Ball at Arizona Inn
What began as a potluck party to thank volunteers more than 70 years ago has become one of Tucson’s most iconic events. The Silver & Turquoise Ball will be held at the Arizona Inn on Saturday, April 27, 2024.
“The Silver & Turquoise Ball is one of Tucson’s most treasured traditions,” said 2024 Ball Chair Missy Eddy. “I am honored to chair the event this year and continue our rich legacy in our beautiful desert city.”
The Ball, in its 72nd year, is an elegant, black tie affair organized by the Silver & Turquoise Board of Hostesses, a group of women whose mission is to promote, support and encourage the preservation of Tucson’s historic traditions and diverse cultural heritage. The event features a gourmet dinner and dancing under the stars at the storied Arizona Inn, which was built by one of the first Silver & Turquoise Hostesses, Isabella Greenway.
The Ball traces its origins to 1950, when a group of women gathered for an impromptu potluck party to thank volunteers of the Tucson Festival Society, which was a pivotal community celebration held each year to promote the culture of the Southwest. It included crafts markets, dances, concerts and parades and encouraged winter visitors to extend their stay in the desert.
The “thank you” party was held at the home of Greenway, the first U.S. congresswoman from Arizona, but was moved to her Inn after an untimely rainstorm and has remained there ever since. Other Hostesses at the time included Aurora Patania, wife of famed jewelry designer Frank Patania and Peggy Steinfeld, whose family opened Steinfeld’s department store.
Today, the party that became a Ball continues to be held at the Arizona Inn. The Silver & Turquoise Board of Hostesses currently supports the restoration of Mission San Xavier del Bac and is proud to be one of the prime benefactors of “The White Dove of the Desert,” a national historic landmark and local treasure. The Board of Hostesses has contributed more than $800,000 since 1993.
For more information on the Silver &Turquoise Board of Hostesses and opportunities to augment our donation to Mission San Xavier del Bac, go to www.silverandturquoiseball.org .
Photo credit: Britta Van Vranken
