Another one of Hoboken’s best parties is in the history books.  The Museum’s annual Masked Ball at the W Hotel Hoboken on Oct. 26 was a great success, thanks to the efforts of many volunteers and donors. We thank all 200 guests for coming together to celebrate the good work the Museum does in the community, and party with your friends and neighbors. 

The Masked Ball raised $50,000 through a combination of ticket sales, generous donations to support our next exhibition, “Greetings from Hudson County: Then & Now,” and vigorous bidding in our annual live and silent auctions of unique travel, dining, entertainment and other prizes. Guests also enjoyed a great variety of dishes representing the diverse palates in the community, and danced the night away with music provided by DJ Rhythm in Motion. This year’s special guest emcee was Marci Rubin of News 12 New Jersey, and magician Tod Buchanan wowed the crowd with his sleight of hand performances, while the dancers of Believe Ballroom Dance Studio showed off some fancy footwork.

Behind the scenes, a volunteer committee planned all the details, led by Val Hufnagel, president of the Museum’s Board of Trustees, with the input of several experienced professionals including Jennifer Claire Scott, Jennifer Icklan Eckert, Jennifer O’Callaghan, Trish Gallagher, Joyce Doyle, Michael Summers, Bob Foster, Eileen Lynch, Melissa Abernathy, and social media gurus Vix Reitano and Xavier Lopez of Sixth Boro Social. 

Click on the button below to view a gallery of party photos snapped by LAPhoto Party.

 Click here to view gala photos!

In homage to our next exhibit, “Greetings from Hudson County: Then & Now,” which opens January 27, 2019, the theme this year and special focus of the auction was raising money for the exhibition, which will feature vintage postcards and an augmented reality app that allows visitors to compare “then” (early 20th century) with now. Proceeds will also support the associated education programs, events and collections. 

In honor of the past, the Museum honored several former trustees of the Museum who have helped build the Museum into what it is today, along with three local heroes who have done so much to help support local businesses and nonprofits: restaurateurs Eugene and Joyce Flinn, and Hoboken Girl founder, Jennifer Tripucka.

A highlight of the evening was Eugene Flinn serving as auctioneer for our popular Live Auction, featuring coveted experiences, including:

• A summer pass to the Shipyard pool with a view
• One week stay in San Miguel Allende, Mexico
• One week stay at White Face Lodge in Lake Placid, NY
• A year of indoor parking in uptown Hoboken
• A special themed dinner for a party of 10 at Anthony David’s, with wine pairings
• And an overnight stay with dinner at the W Hoboken or Standard Hotel in New York

Expanded Silent Auction

An expanded silent auction this year included over 40 of tempting packages, artworks and gift certificates for local businesses, including tickets to see “A Band’s Visit” at the Barrymore Theater on Broadway, tickets to a taping of “Live with Kelly & Ryan,” and a Hoboken Memorial Day Parade ride for kids on a fire truck. Smart-phone bidding provided by GiveSmart made it easy for everyone to compete for these and other donated packages from Prime Cycle, Hudson Table, Cellar 335, Pier 13/NY Harbor Jet Ski, Hand and Stone Spa, passes to Liberty Science Center, a stay at the Tropicana Atlantic City, a framed print by local artist Ricardo Roig, vintage Hoboken images on canvas…and much more!

The event is made possible through the generous support of sponsors and donors, including: BCB Community Bank, Bijou Properties, Dragonfly Imaging, Halstead Properties NJ, Haven Savings Bank, Provident Bank, Strategic Insurance Partners, The W Hoboken, LA Photo Party and Rhythm in Motion, Applied Companies, Marcia Hermann, Rich DeVita, Anthony & Liz Pino, as well as supporters Cindy Cray, the Schmalzbauer Family, Nancy Lynch and Chris Falkner, and Jim Magenheimer and Terry Pranses.