$5 Million Fayetteville Community Theater Gets a Major Boost in This Windy Knoll in Round Top Gala

More than 300 guests were ushered behind the red curtains at Windy Knoll in Round Top for “A Night at the Theater” themed gala benefiting the Fayetteville Community Center & Performance Theater project.

In a taste of what’s to come, gala co-chairs Joan Herring and Wendy Burks treated the audience to plenty of champagne, dramatic performances from an acting troupe and the dulcet tones of the Texas A&M University String Quartet. All while the lucky attendees dined on catered meal prepared by Houston-based Ballroom at Bayou Place.

Mirth and bubbles: the “Champagne Diva” ensured no guest was empty handed. Photography by Johnny Than

The Texas A&M University String Quartet

High drama: an acting troupe lead by Keller O’Malley delighted gala guests.

Dinner segued into a lively auction that began with the sale of a glass of tap water, which earned a top bid of $1,500. The most coveted item was a one week stay at Casa de Las Brisas, a private Puerto Vallarta villa, which netted $50,000 in an even split between two bidders. And no Round Top area auction would be complete without at least one antique. In this case, a mid-18th century flintlock pistol donated by Compound vendor Axe Antiques.

The event brought in more than $500,000, bringing total fundraising efforts thus far to $2 million for the Fayetteville Community Center & Performance Theater project. All proceeds will go toward the renovation and construction of an addition to the historic 1875-era E.J. Knesek Building in Fayetteville’s charming town square.

The planned 150 seat theater will include a catering kitchen and public rooms for meetings, community gatherings, conferences and special occasions. Construction on the multi-phase project is set to begin this fall.