The Jazz Age isn’t over yet at the North Shore Historical Museum as it prepares for its “Gatsby at 100” Gala, which will take place on Friday, Oct. 10, at the historic Webb Institute in Glen Cove.
“We really look forward to bringing light to one of the few remaining mentions of the Gold Coast region,” said museum Director Christopher Judge.
This year, the museum’s annual gala will pay homage to “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, which celebrated its centennial birthday this year.
The Webb Institute, which was formerly the Herbert L. Pratt Estate, “The Braes,” will be turned into an immersive Gatsby experience, Judge said. He said it is the “perfect setting for a really beautiful night.”
Judge said there will be Roaring ’20s-themed drinks and music, and that attendees are encouraged to come in Great Gatsby-inspired attire. After the buffet dinner and dessert, Judge said, there will be a lecture by Richard Harris discussing the women in the 1920s, and their influence on the Gold Coast region.
Judge, who joined the museum in January, said he hopes to bring his background in music to the organization. He said pianist Elysa Sunshine will perform a variety of jazz songs, and that attendees will be invited to sing along to select 1920s songs during the gala’s cocktail hour.
“They’ve never considered live music at their annual gala before… And I thought, ‘let’s go to the next level and join in,’” Judge said.
He said the annual gala is the museum’s “most significant fundraiser of the year” and helps support educational programs, guest lecturers, and museum facility improvements. He said all proceeds will go towards “strengthening community and strengthening awareness to what our museum does.”
Tickets are $150 for museum members and $175 for nonmembers, and can be purchased at nshmgc.org.
“I love local history, and this is a great way for me to delve into that interest,” Judge said.
The museum’s next exhibit — opening later this month — will celebrate the 300th anniversary of the Locust Valley Quaker meeting house.
