JULY | AUGUST 2019 81With construction of a new pediatrics tower at Batson un-
derway, McRae says the event organizers—also including Da-
vid Spurk, Sara Ray, and Jesse Houston—wanted to make the
2018 Enchanted Evening bigger and better than ever before.
Once the Mississippi Museum of Art with its glass-filled foyer
and open-air Art Garden was selected as the venue, only the sky
was the limit in planning the party’s offerings during the course
of nearly a year of brainstorming and execution.
McRae sourced many of the small decorative items that were
spread throughout the venue, including more than 200 colorful
umbrellas that were suspended from the ceiling. “David Spurk
worked his magic,” notes McRae, with brightly hued flowers
and centerpieces that included unexpected items ranging from
giant Legos to vintage lunchboxes and massive paper blossoms.
Jewel-toned tablecloths and other essentials were provided by
Pretty Presentations in Newton, and Jackson’s Davaine Light-
ing ensured that the whole scene was elegantly illuminated.
Outside in the Art Garden, a “glamping” safari-style tent from
Upcountry Camp was set out, complete with rugs, oversized
pillows and a fully furnished seating area inside.
But perhaps the most striking element of the décor was one
found high overhead inside: an enormous swath of more than
1,000 colorful balloons amassed into rainbow clouds by Badass
Balloon Co. from New Orleans in a process that took two days
to complete.
“It goes to show you that Enchanted Evening is not just a
Jackson event,” McRae says. “This is a Mississippi event. Our
vendors come from near and far to be with us because Batson
Children’s Hospital is our state’s only children’s hospital, and
that’s how much Mississippi and her neighbors care.”
The evening’s menu, prepared by an A-list roster of 10 local
and far-flung chefs, was also kid-focused, but with an elegant
twist. “We took our favorite kids’ foods and kicked it up a notch,”
McRae says. “But my favorite part was the A-game that every
chef brought because of their giving heart. We only had one
request: Be extraordinary. Take your favorite food as a kid and
elevate it.”
Dishes served included a take on the tuna sandwich by Paul
Adair of The Gathering in Livingston, a Seuss-inspired Green
Eggs and Ham dish by Ryan Cassell of Fenian’s Pub in Jackson,
a chic cheeseburger dish by Alex Eaton of The Manship in Jack-
son, fancy fish sticks by Jesse Houston of Fine & Dandy in Jack-
son, a mushroom-based dish drawn from Where the Wild Things
Are by Hunter Evans of Lou’s Full Serv in Jackson, tarragon-in-
fused cotton candy from Matt Marcus of Watershed in Atlanta,
a doughnut-hole delicacy by Betsy Mullins of The Gathering in
Livingston, and uniquely flavored ice pops from Deep South
Pops in Jackson. Chefs Phillip Esteban of CH Projects in San Di-
ego and Mike Arquines of Mostra Coffee & The Lab Dining in
San Diego also flew in to share their culinary talents.
But the culinary whimsy didn’t stop there: a lunchbox-in-
spired serving station featured Cap’n Crunch-crusted chicken
fingers, pimiento mac and cheese, corn flake-crusted scalloped
potatoes, and a “giant Lunchable” complete with assorted
meats, cheeses, crackers and fruits. Catering was provided by
Fine & Dandy, and beverage vendors included The Karovan Bar
and Fondren Cellars.The stunning dishes that were offered to Enchanted Evening
guests were inspired by the chefs' childhood food memories.