With much anticipation, the doors to The Lighthouse opened welcoming our excited guests to the tasty offerings of the cocktail hour with the blue waters of the Hudson River glistening in the background. A passed Welcome Drink was supplied by Waeldertau as well as a Mixologist from Niche with the evening’s specialty drink. The evening continued with dinner, dancing to Die Spitzbuam and a very successful Silent Auction. The Gala & Silent Auction of the 58th Annual Steuben Parade can easily be called the best Gala ever!
A new venue and a slightly new format had the Gala Committee enjoying the fruits of their labor. Vice-Chairlady, Nicole Miskiewicz, led her team (Anita Radske, Sonia Juran Kulesza and Terri Nelson) to outstanding results and a very successful evening. Of course, hearty thanks also go to the Chefs, 
Restaurants and Food Vendors that generously provided tasting tables for the Cocktail Hour: Kurt Gutenbrunner, Blaue Gans, Lederhosen, Nurnberger Bierhaus, Edi and The Wolf, Open Sky Hospitality, Prost, The Virgin Olive, Zum Schneider, Karl Ehmer, Forest Pork Store, BelGiosio Cheese & Gerolsteiner Mineral Water.
Our Guests were provided selections of red, white and sparking wines from Niche Imports and a varied beer selection by Dinkelacker, Hofbrau, Radeberger, Spaten, Schoefferhofer Grapefruit, Weihenstephaner, Erdinger and Bitburger while enjoying a sumptuous dinner served by a top-notch Lighthouse staff. Chocolate Truffles by Rossbach International, cookies from the Vienna Cookie Company and after-dinner Liqueurs by Niche were the perfect end to a perfect meal!
Grand Marshals John Ratzenberger, Contessa Brewer and Former Mayor of Berlin Klaus Wowereit spoke of their delight in celebrating their own German heritage, whether by birth or as the descendants of German and Austrian immigrants to the United States. John, Contessa and Herr Wowereit graciously posed for photos with Miss German-America and her Court as well as with many of our guests. Honored Guests included German Consul General Brita Wagener, Deputy Chief of Mission Philipp Ackermann and Colonel (GS) Joachim W. Bohn. The national anthems were sung be Catherine Rabus.
As the evening wound down, the bidding on the Silent Auction items intensified. We had many happy high-bidders/winners whose generosity in support of the Steuben Parade Committee was much appreciated. However, the Silent Auction would not have happened without the Sponsors: Villeroy-Boch, Junghans Watches, FreyWille, Kaethe Wollfahrt, the Cosmos, BNA Custom Jewelry, Neue Galerie, Christoph Niemann, Niche Imports and Fehrenbach Cuckoo Clocks. With a pleasant evening behind us, the Gala Committee bid farewell to our guests with a gift bag full of goodies to everyone’s delight. It was a GREAT evening with great friends…..already looking forward to 2016!
Article By: Sonia Juran Kulesza
Photos By: Gerhard Rosbach, Charles Ruppman & Robert Radske
