Can’t make it to Hollywood for the Oscars?
You don’t have to go further than Avon this Sunday to dress to the nines, walk the Red Carpet and watch the Academy Awards.
The Farmington Valley Film Commission is hosting its second annual Red Carpet Gala Sunday, Feb. 24 from 7 p.m. to midnight at Belle Terrace in Avon.
“You can come and watch a televised viewing of the Academy Awards and you can dress up, if you so desire,” Canton actor and filmmaker Steve Emirzian, a film commission member, said. “It’s black tie optional.”
As the camera lights flash in Hollywood to capture many of the film industry’s finest in gowns and tuxes, local photographers will also be snapping photos at the Avon gala as area film enthusiasts grace the Red Carpet and pose next to gold Oscar-like statues by the Belle Terrace entrance.
“Who are you wearing?” is the question of the night at the Academy Awards in Los Angeles, so it’s only fitting that people can enter a best-dressed contest locally at the Red Carpet Gala.
There will also be a silent auction at the film commission's event, with prizes ranging from a helicopter ride and a wine tour of Newport Vineyards in Rhode Island to a basket of wines from Francis Ford Coppola Winery in California, according to commission member Maura Fitzgerald.
As Farmington Valley film enthusiasts watch the Oscars at Belle Terrace, they can guess who will win the major categories and enter their names in a 50-50 drawing, Fitzgerald said.
Hors d'oeuvres will be served and people will receive a complimentary glass of champagne. There will be a one-hour open bar between 8 and 9 p.m. and a cash bar for the rest of the time. Avon Wine & Spirits is hosting a wine and beer tasting from 7 to 8 p.m.
While Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane is hosting the Oscars, Maggie Slysz – Fox 61 television personality and Farmington native – will emcee the Red Carpet Gala in Avon. She also hosted last year's event, which was held in Farmington at Farmington Gardens.
More information is available by calling the Farmington Valley Vistor’s Association in Avon at 676-8878. Tickets cost $60 in cash or check, or $450 for a table of eight, according to an announcement the commission posted on Patch.
Belle Terrace is located at 1 Nod Rd. in Avon near the intersection of Routes 10 and 44.
