‘A celebration of what we bring to the community’: Westmoreland Cultural Trust hosts annual fundraising gala at Palace Theatre

Suits, ties and evening gowns will grace the stage of the Palace Theatre in Greensburg for the Westmoreland Cultural Trust’s “Party at the Palace” fundraising gala.

The theme is “shaken, not stirred,” inspired by the way James Bond takes his martini cocktails.

The trust has held the gala for 18 years to benefit its mission: bolstering the arts in Westmoreland County. But the gala also serves as a thank you to the trust’s supporters, said interim CEO Teresa Baughman.

“It’s kind of a celebration of what we bring to the community through the trust,” Baughman said.

The trust aims to gather 300 people at the gala.

It will kick off with a VIP event at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 24, featuring champagne, hors d’oeuvres and live entertainment. Tickets for the VIP portion are sold out, said Daniel Stainer, the trust’s director of marketing.

The main programming will begin at 7:30 p.m. Guests can enjoy heavy hors d’oeuvres and desserts or check out the coffee bar, whiskey and cigar bar and specialty cocktail and martini bars.

Food and beverages for the evening are sponsored by JCorks, Morelands, Rizzo’s, Elegant Catering, the Greensburg Country Club, Live Casino Pittsburgh, The Olde Spitfire Grille, El Diablo Brewing Co. & Wood Fired Kitchen, Sun Dawg Cafe, Cutie’s Coffee, Tall Pines Distillery, Greensburg Distilling Co. and Bella Terra Vineyards.

Live entertainment will be provided by The Fabulous Gemtones, EBT Jazz and guitarist Kyle Greene.

Live Casino is also providing gaming tables and dealers for the evening. Games will be set up on the Palace Theatre stage.

Guests can try their hand at an onsite putting green and participate in a raffle for a watch donated by Beeghly & Co. Jewelers. They can also win prizes by completing activities and solving riddles throughout the theater in an experience called “License to Thrill.”

“The whole point of this event, it’s for everyone in the community — not just people who have traditionally attended,” Stainer said.

The trust relies on community donations, grants and fundraisers like the gala to support its work, Stainer said.

“It’s not just about the money,” Stainer said. “For us, it’s about really being the organization that shows the best of what Westmoreland County art, culture and local community businesses can do when we all pool our resources together.”

With the funds raised from the gala, the trust hopes to “become more supportive of the other arts initiatives going on in the county,” Baughman said.

On the horizon

The trust has several projects planned for 2024, Baughman said, including new Wings Across Westmoreland installations at Pitt-Greensburg and New Kensington. The art installations aim to promote community history.

The trust will also revamp its summer concert series, now called “Rhythms of Summer.” The concerts will take place at the Palace Theatre courtyard or the Greensburg Garden and Civic Center lawn. Each week of performances will have a new theme, Baughman said.

On nights where the concert series overlaps with the Greensburg Night Market, the trust plans to bring the music to downtown Greensburg.

With the Palace Theatre turning 100 years old in 2026, it is due for cosmetic and mechanical improvements, including HVAC upgrades, Baughman said.

The theater is often seen as the heart of the trust’s efforts, Stainer said.

“There’s a lot of turmoil in the world,” Stainer said, “but when people come to the Palace … it brings them joy, and it also exposes them to the great culture and art that’s out there.”

This story has been updated.