The 50th anniversary of the Saturday evening with an array of black lights, neon and eccentricity.

The event featured a variety of walking and inanimate art including a pair of stilt walkers and a booth featuring glass blowing. Music filled the main building while people danced and mingled the floor. The garage opposite the courtyard area was open for art exhibits and a hosted a sea of neon accented strings filling a large space from ceiling to floor making for a popular photo and dancing spot.

Rain sprinkled into the evening but didn’t outshine the event or cause inside huddling to an extreme. Tori Hammonds, who was one of the bartenders at the event, said the rain wouldn’t be a deterrent but make the event even the more fun.

Artist Jarod Mason, a local photographer, was there featuring a line of canvas art. He has been working on art professionally for about six months. Mason previously worked at Manchester Music Hall and had been scouted by Homegrown Collectives, a local art gallery, to be features at its exhibit.

“Art for me is not necessarily about how much money I make, it’s nice but it’s really more about finding the person who sees my vision and can appreciate it the same way I can,” Mason said.

Mason had been personally touched the week before by a woman who had purchased a canvas at Manchester Hall of a giraffe, which she shared with a friend and lifted his spirits after he had been down for the past couple of months. This was a moving inspiration to lead him into featuring his line at the ball.

Logan Guyer, who has been a glass blower for the past eight years, became a definite attraction within his booth doing live works of art while also selling some of his works. Guyer is also associated with Homegrown Collectives and featured his line of jewelry, globes and other hand-crafted pieces.

Various citizens took the opportunity to walk on the wild side and show off their creative clothing styles ranging from black full body jumpsuits to fishnet tights and body glitter.

“There are not many occasions to get dressed up and go (dressed) however you want to, and I heard it was widely accepted here. This is my first time and it’s a little different than our normal Bluegrass kind of thing. I just wanted to come out and see what it was about,” said Trish Craig, who works in home healthcare.

The Pride Community Services Organization was one of the organizations represented that also benefited as a charity for the event.

“We have the only LGBTQ community and pride center in the state. We reached out to the Beaux Arts Foundation, actually through and email, and they wrote back and said they thought we were a great match and definitely wanted to support us. We just thought it was a really good fit because the message of their whole thing is to be who you are,” said Carmen Wampler-Collins, office manager of the PCSO.

Along with the music featuring various artists including Freddy Todd and a live DJ, there was also a fashion and drag show which came before midnight and brought a crowd. It featured local designers showcasing their works ranging from a man with a t-shirt and a small round mirror on the chest to a woman in a leotard and plastic trench coat. The designs also included leotards with computer pieces on the body and a loose chiffon vest.

A warm fire pit was the perfect spot to break the chill of the cool air caused the rain. The night came to an end around The Burl’s regular closing hour of 2:30 a.m.