13th Annual Benefit Gala Dinner, Auction, & Show

Our Gala evening includes hors d'oeuvres, a three-course dinner, silent and live auctions, and jazz performances.  

The silent and live auctions are excellent opportunities to support VMA's mission and win something exciting for yourself!

The show features world-renowned Jazz Drummer Ignatio Berroa performing with VMA's Wakefield Jazz Workshop, Annandale Jazz Ambassadors, & Chapel Square Combo.

Grammy Award winner and international drum star Ignacio Berroa has been recognized as one of the greatest drummers of our times. He was honored by inclusion in the 2011 Mp3 compilation entitled “Jazz Drumming Legends” which features some of the most renowned drummers in Jazz history. He was an integral part of all of Dizzy Gillespie's bands from 1981 to 1993 including Dizzy Gillespie's 70th Anniversary Big Band and the Grammy Award winning United Nations Orchestra. Gillespie described him as "The only Latin drummer in the world, in the history of American music that intimately knows both worlds.” He was included in the Modern Drummer Magazine and Blue Note Records 2011 notable recording as a "Jazz Drumming Legend".

Our Gala will be held at the historic Howard Theater, which is steeped in Jazz History.   The Howard Theatre opened in 1910 in the area known as "Black Broadway,” and provided a place where color barriers blurred and music unified. It featured vaudeville, live theatre, talent shows and two performing companies. The Washington Bee dubbed it the "Theatre for The People," as both dignitaries and everyday citizens gathered to see beloved icons and rising stars.

The Howard Theater was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, but the degradation of the neighborhood forced the theatre to close in 1980. After a $29 million renovation and a 32-year hiatus, the Howard Theatre re-opened in 2012. It offers a rich tradition of honoring and showcasing the industry’s hottest stars in music and entertainment and continues to be a hub of creativity and artistic expression in the modern world.

https//thehowardtheatre.com

Parking: Self parking is available for $15. Valet parking with Shuttle is $12.  Premium Valet parking is $20.

Metro: The Howard Theater is in the same square block as the Shaw-Howard stop on the Green and Yellow lines.

Cocktail Attire