Join the Irish American Society of Tidewater as we celebrate 40 years of promoting and preserving Irish-American culture and history.
The ball will feature Irish music and step dancing, community awards, heavy hors d’oeuvres, and a DJ for dancing later on. Our goal is to host an event that encompasses and celebrates all aspects of Tidewater Virginia’s amazing Irish-American community. Tickets are open to the general public. Buy your ticket or table today!
Purchase Tickets here:
https://secure.givelively.org/event/irish-american-society-of-tidewater/ias-emerald-ball
- When: Saturday, February 29th 2020 at 6:00 PM
- Where: Sheraton Norfolk Waterside Hotel, 777 Waterside Dr., Norfolk VA, 23510
It is LESS THAN 3 MONTHS away from our 40th Anniversary celebration, so please get it on your 2020 calendar and get your tickets NOW! For one year only, instead of Finnegan’s Wake, we will be holding an EMERALD BALL!!! (Actually, might need to do one of these every 5 or at least every 10 years, just because!)
Obviously, we don’t have all the details worked out yet, but here are the basics. We will update as more details are confirmed! Let me know if you have any suggestions!
~ We will have half the ballroom set up in style for 300 lucky attendees and also have a block of rooms for people to book at a good rate so they can stay overnight and not have to worry about driving! TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE AT THE LINK ABOVE for $50 per person, sold in advance only. If you want to guarantee whom you are sitting with, then the entire table of 10 seats needs to be bought at once. ABSOLUTELY NO ADMITTANCE WITHOUT A TICKET!!!
~ Black Tie/National Dress/Military Dress, Military Dinner Dress, Military Formal Dress, or Military Evening Dress Uniforms for the gents. Ballgowns for the ladies — we’d love to see all “40 Shades of Green” represented! Could be your gown, your accessories, even your hair! 😉 There will be prizes!
~ We hope to have some new members of our Irish American Honor Guard recruited AND kilted up in the Irish American tartan uniform time for this!!!!!!!!!!
~ Little ones with tickets are welcome up until 9 pm; we’ll work on a list of available babysitters available for hire after that on site at the hotel. Childcare arrangements must be made in advance. Sorry, but there are no comped or reduced rate tickets. Teens & tweens supervised by parents are welcome to stay for the after 9 pm party.
~ Cocktail hour w/ endless loop slideshow of IAS history — be looking for your favorite IAS pictures. Send them to us at IAS.Tidewater@gmail.com as electronic file email attachments as you come across them with “40th SLIDESHOW” as the subject header. That will make it easier for us to track them and make sure they are all included. Please also include a note telling us the full names of everyone in the photo and approximately when and where it was taken.
~ Happy Hour/Check In/Socializing from 6-7:30 pm.
~ Formal program/presentations/performances 7:30-9:00 pm.
~ DJ & dance party from 9 pm – 12 am!!!
~ Irish step dancing performance by the Walker Academy
~ Anniversary Dance!
~ Cash Bar all night
~ Heavy app buffet during Happy Hour (Eat dinner in advance! There’s a nice restaurant on the ground floor of the hotel…)
~ The current board will be announced & escorted in for a group picture for the archives.
~ Then all former board members present will be announced and escorted up to join them for a group picture for the archives.
~ All IAS honorees from our past 40 years will be announced and escorted up, then there will be a group picture for the archives. Find your sashes! Replacements cost $25!!!
~ All Presidents of the IAS (or a family rep) will be announced in reverse chronological order and escorted in, then there will be a special presentation and a group photo for the archives.
~ “Parade of Princesses” – All former IAS Princesses will be announced in reverse chronological order and escorted in immediately before we present the 2020 IAS Princesses; then there will be group photos for the archives. Ladies, start tracking down your sashes NOW; if you need to order replacements, they are $25 each, so it’s better to find them!
~ Tracy Lynn Fearon is going to coordinate US Marines in uniform to escort us to our tables, greet people at the door and take tickets, etc.!!!
~ ROOM RESERVATION & PARKING INFO FOR SHERATON:
Guest room rate $109.00 per night plus tax
$8.00 overnight self-parking
$5.00 event only self-parking
$26.00 overnight valet parking
$13.00 event only valet parking
