The Party That Took a Village
What does it take to have a great party?
Our first annual Night at the Village reminded us of something we already suspected: the best parties are defined almost entirely by the people who show up and the people who help pull them together.
On October 15th, 240 of our friends, supporters and community members joined us to celebrate one year of Kintsugi Village. It’s been a year of hands in the dirt, construction, learning, art, new recipes, partnerships, team retreats and a whole lot of good times. Those memories deserved a proper party!
For our inaugural gala (internally, the “not-a-gala gala”) we skipped the traditional route. We wanted an experience! An evening to celebrate everyone who helped us get here.
To understand the Village, you have to experience it, so we invited guests to wander. They strolled through the garden. They met our teachers and learned what makes our school different. They swayed to the music of Blackman/Arnold World Jazz Guitar Duo in the art gallery.
Our culinary team tied it all together with a flavor for every pathway: veggies fresh from the Kintsugi garden, Kintsugi Kid snacks in the school (pickle dip + pretzels!), build-your-own grain bowls in the gallery, three yummy food stations on the third floor and don’t forget dessert! The chocolate chip cookies were a big hit. It was a flavorful journey through the Village.
Oh, and lots of bubbles courtesy of the coolest bartenders in town! They crafted signature Kocktails for the evening as we danced the night away with the DJ.
Upstairs, flowers from our own garden filled the room while we looked back on the year and honored Anthony Marsalese and his husband of 38 years, Jeff Davison, partners in life, love and creativity. Anthony was a stylist, performer and ceramicist, and above all a man who made everyone feel they mattered. He visited the Village just once, but it stayed with him. He passed away suddenly and we never got to meet him, but the stories and generosity shared in his memory have helped us celebrate his impact.
And what’s a gala without a friendly auction? We’re talking dinner at the Kintsugi Chef’s Table, a stay at the Shinola and a trip to Barcelona! We even had a free auctioneer for our first go at it (aka Paul Spiegelman), who was convinced he’d be met with crickets. But our Village showed up, the bids came flying and Paul got his moment! Turns out, all he needed was a mic and a community ready to play along.
But what stood out most came when we scanned the room. Teachers, chefs, farmers, builders, artists, partners, community members, and friends, everyone who took a chance on us and helped build this community. We loved seeing old friends, laughing until our cheeks hurt, meeting new faces and getting closer to those who have been by our side from the start. Every one of them is a piece of the whole, joined together and together we made a memory.
And the biggest challenge? Explaining what “Village chic” attire entails. You all showed up and showed out! Dresses, jeans, suits and skirts, all in one room. That’s exactly what we hoped for: a party where everyone is free to be themselves and enjoy good company. Consider this your official outfit inspiration for next year.
You can relive all the moments here!
Thank you to our volunteers, sponsors, partners, team and community: you gave the evening its heartbeat.
We’re so grateful for this year and can’t wait to see what’s next. Save the date for October 7th, 2027 (yes, we switched the date, forgive us!) so we can do it all again!
