Guests once again will walk the red carpet as Party at The Palace returns live Feb. 26 to The Palace Theatre in Greensburg.

After a digital event in 2021, the signature fundraiser of the Westmoreland Cultural Trust will sport a Winter Wonderland theme, which will be interpreted in a different way in each area of the historic theater.

The VIP pre-party will begin at 6:30 p.m. on the stage, where guests will be treated to hors d’oeuvres, live music from EBT Jazz, champagne and a commemorative photograph. The main event commences at 7:30 p.m. throughout the theater, with more entertainment and specialties from local restaurants.

Guests can dance the night away in the Megan’s Suite, where Artistree will play popular hits in a variety of music genres. The Upper Megan’s Suite will provide a warm retreat with a hot chocolate/coffee/sweets bar and acoustic music by Byron Nash, the 2022 First Night Pittsburgh headliner.

Specialty cocktails and hors d’oeuvres will greet partygoers in the icy blue and silver-hued Mezzanine. A heated tent in the S&T Bank Courtyard will host a whiskey and cigar bar.

One popular feature from last year’s online event did not carry over to this year, according to event chairwoman Peg Colosimo. The pie-in-the-face finale — in which viewers pledged donations to see a volunteer get a face full of whipped cream — was a one-time attention grabber.

“That was a way to raise some extra money and another way to keep people watching,” she said.

Instead of pies this year, there will be a new photo booth, where attendees can snap instant prints to take home.

‘Well-greased wheel’

While it will be good to be live again, said Trust CEO April Kopas, “Last year’s event really confirmed for us how important the arts are to the people of our community, with more than 3,600 people tuning in to watch the event virtually.”

Among the organizer’s top priorities was to include local artists and musicians who were affected by the pandemic.

“We were able to showcase 12 local musicians/bands,” Kopas said. “Even national performers and personalities showed their support with guest appearances by Scott Blasey (The Clarks), Joe Grushecky (Joe Grushecky and The Houserockers), Michael Glabicki and Dirk Miller (Rusted Root), Pittsburgh personality Rick Sebak and radio personality Mark Madden.

“This fundraiser allows Westmoreland Cultural Trust to support and spotlight local artists, host free community events, expand art initiatives throughout the county and provide top-tier entertainment at The Palace,” Kopas said.

In its 16th year, Party at The Palace “runs like a well-greased wheel by now,” said Colosimo, who has chaired the event every year.

For the inaugural 2006 event, she said, “We came up with the idea to call it ‘Oscar Night at The Palace.’ Then we learned we couldn’t use the word ‘Oscar,’ so we called it Party at The Palace.’

From 2007 to 2015, the event celebrated a decade of entertainment, beginning with the Roaring ’20s.

“In 2016, it was the 90th anniversary of The Palace, so the party became our anniversary celebration with a different theme every year,” Colosimo said.

VIP tickets are $150, or $125 for Trust members. Tickets to the main event only are $85, or $75 for members. To purchase, or for information on safety protocols, call 724-836-8000 or visit westmorelandculturaltrust.org.

In conjunction with the party, an online auction will be available from noon Feb. 25 until 9 p.m. March 4 on the Trust website. Auction items will include original artwork, sports memorabilia, handcrafted treasures and other items.

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