< Previous20 COASTMONTHLY.COM | FebruArY 2023 FEATURE SALUTING THE SALUTE A billionaire’s Mardi Gras party gets ‘bigger, better and grander’ every year story by LAURA ELDER D uchesses and debutantes. Glittering gowns. Colorful tuxedos. Grammy Award-win- ning entertainers. And a wait- ing list that’s the envy of gala organizers across Texas. Such are the trademarks of the San Luis Salute, a Mardi Gras bash thrown by island-born billionaire Tilman Fertitta and family that each year counts dignitaries, lu- minaries and politicians among attendees. Organizers keep the entertainment a se- cret until just before the gala, adding to the party’s mystique. San Luis Salute entertainers over the years have included Adam Levine and Maroon 5, The Chainsmokers, Usher, Blondie, Jason Derulo, Pitbull, Sister Sledge, KC and the Sunshine Band and Kool and the Gang, to name a few. The San Luis Salute, which is Feb. 17 this year, begins selling out pretty much the day after the last one. Last year’s Salute, with 2,000 tickets sold, was a record-breaker for the event. “It’s the hottest gala ticket in Texas,” said islander Dancie Ware, who in the 1980s was instrumental in reviving Galveston’s Mardi Gras and Momus Grand Night Parade and organizing the first San Luis Salute in 1997. So how did this party get started? In 1997, Mardi Gras Galveston celebra- tions had attracted the attention of Manuel Pérez Cárdenas, Mexico’s Consul General to Texas. Ware arranged a meeting with Cárde- nas about staging a Mardi Gras event at the COASTMONTHLY.COM | FebruArY 2023 21 PHOTO: CO ur T e SY MICH e LL e WATSON/CATCHLIGHT G r O u P Confetti rains down on spectators at the 2015 San Luis Salute in Galveston. Thrown by island-born billionaire Tilman Fertitta and family, the San Luis Salute is the hottest Mardi Gras bash in Texas.22 COASTMONTHLY.COM | FebruArY 2023 FEATURE San Luis Hotel, of which Fertitta and family were new owners. Fertitta — a Galveston-native best known as chairman, CEO and owner of Landry’s Inc. and owner of the Houston Rockets — immediately embraced the idea and wanted the event to benefit the University of Texas Medical Branch, Ware said. Thrown in typical Fertitta fashion, the Salute was among the most extravagant Mardi Gras parties the island had ever seen. The theme, which then and since has followed that of the Knights of Momus, the island’s oldest krewe supporting the social and civic efforts of Galveston’s Mardi Gras, was Mexico Magnifico. Cárdenas was the guest of honor. Mexican designer Armando Mafud wowed the sellout crowd with a 40-min- ute fashion show of his hand-painted and hand-embroidered gowns, Shelby Hodge, a Houston Chronicle society columnist at the time, reported. Among those wearing Mafud’s gowns that night were Ware, Paige Fertitta, Marta Freder- icks and Nanci Freudenburg, whose husband, Henry, at the time was mayor of Galveston. Ever since, the San Luis Salute has been known for glamorous fashions. Some attend- ees wear masks and feathers. Colorful, bro- cade tuxedo jackets also are in abundance at the Salute. “The dresses are dramatic and colorful,” Ware said. “The common denominator is the more glitz, the better.” The 1997 party was such a success, Fer- titta and family decided to make it a yearly tradition. “It gets bigger, better and grander every year,” Ware said. It got so big, in fact, it outgrew the hotel and moved to the Galveston Island Conven- tion Center at the San Luis Resort. Every Salute has benefited various de- partments of the medical branch and has honored 52 people, including physicians, professors, researchers, astronauts and more. This year, the Salute is honoring Dr. Alan D. Barrett and Dr. Gulshan Sharma. The first honoree in 1997 was Ruth Kemp- ner and her work with the medical branch’s PHOTO: CO ur T e SY DAV e r OSSMAN PHOTO: CO ur T e SY GA r Y FO u NTAIN (From top) Tilman Fertitta, center, with the 2019 Momus duchesses, including his daughter and Momus Queen, Blayne, right; the Fertitta family at the 2022 San Luis Salute: Blake, Patrick, Blayne, Paige and Michael. “The dresses are dramatic and colorful. The common denominator is the more glitz, the better.” DANCIE WARE COASTMONTHLY.COM | FebruArY 2023 23 PHOTOS: CO ur T e SY DAV e r OSSMAN24 COASTMONTHLY.COM | FebruArY 2023 FEATURE breast imaging program. The San Luis Salute also features the pre- sentation of Momus duchesses. So how does someone plan for one of the biggest parties in Texas? “We start the day the last one’s over,” said Richard Flowers, chief operating officer of The Events Company, which Landry’s owns. Flowers has been planning the Salute almost from the beginning, dealing with the decorations, booking entertainment and everything else that goes into a party for 2,000 people. Fertitta, who is famously hands-on, dissects each San Luis Salute as plans get underway for the next. “It’s a fun party to plan,” Flowers said. “Tilman just lets us go crazy.” Flowers in early January wouldn’t divulge the entertainer for the Feb. 17 Salute. “It’s a surprise, but it’s going to be fun, fun, fun,” Flowers promises. But getting a ticket to the Salute isn’t easy. “We sell out before we ever send out invitations,” said Michelle Beckwith, director of catering and special events for the San Luis Resort. Although obtaining a ticket to the party isn’t easy, there’s not as much mystery as people might think. It comes down to a system, Beckwith said. “If you’ve gone in the past and had a table, you have first rights,” she said. Knights of Momus duchesses and board members get to buy a table before they’re open to any other guests, Beckwith said. Then, organizers go through the extensive waiting list, working to accommodate people on it, she said. Depending on positioning in the room, table prices range from $7,500 to $20,000, with most proceeds benefiting the medical branch. “Tilman donates a substantial amount every year to UTMB,” Beckwith said. “We definitely spend more than we make.” PHOTO: CO ur T e SY DAVID FAHL e SON/©HO u STON CH r ONICL e . u S e D WITH P er MISSION (Above) Dancie Ware; Jesus Silva Herzog, Mexico’s Ambassador to the U.S.; and Nanci Freudenburg at the first San Luis Salute in 1997. (Opposite) Entertainment for the San Luis Salute has included break dancers, aerial bartenders, stilt walkers and go-go dancers. COASTMONTHLY.COM | FebruArY 2023 25 PHOTO: CO ur T e SY DAV e r OSSMAN PHOTO: CO ur T e SY DAV e r OSSMAN PHOTO: CO ur T e SY GA r Y FO u NTAIN PHOTO: CO ur T e SY MICH e LL e WATSON/CATCHLIGHT G r O u PCompassionate Guidance in Your Time of Need. E. R. Johnson Family Mortuary has been serving the Galveston, Galveston County area with compassion and respect for over 71 years. Our deep roots in the community are a source of pride, as we grow side by side with the families we serve. During this time you need someone who understand the needs of families in celebrating the life of their loved ones and making sure that we take all precautions in maintaining a safe environment to assure the health and well-being of everyone that wants to celebrate the life of their loved one with dignity. E.R. Johnson Family Mortuary has always been in the forefront making sure the families we serve receive our utmost attention, care and service. 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Where did you grow up? I am originally from Denver, Colorado, and moved to Dallas in high school. Where did you attend school? I completed my undergrad at Oklaho- ma Wesleyan University and have my bachelor’s degree in Organizational Management. How do you describe Galveston to your friends who’ve never been here? I usually say Galveston is a laid-back beach town with a personality of its own. What’s the last book you read? Honest answer, “Potty Training in Three Days.” Mom life. What’s topping your playlist? Reggae always, but as a musician, I have a pretty wide range of interests when it comes to music. There’s very little I don’t like. Do you have a favorite fashion designer? Does Target count? How would you describe your style? Laid-back, functional and fun. What’s your favorite thing about Mardi Gras? I really enjoy how much people get into celebrating and how much fun everyone has. Have you and your family formed any Mardi Gras traditions? Not yet. I didn’t celebrate Mardi Gras Mia Pritchett strikes a pose under the Mardi Gras arch near The Tremont House in Galveston’s downtown. Pritchett, who moved to the island about four years ago, enjoys how much people get into celebrating Mardi Gras, she said. The mother of two is looking forward to starting some traditions with her family, she said. Hair and makeup by Rachel West, owner of First Impressions -N- Galveston Blow Dry Bar, 527 21st St. in the island’s downtown. PHOTO: ST u A r T VILLAN ue VA really until we moved to Galveston, so I’m looking forward to learning about others’ traditions and starting some of our own. FROM THE LONE STAR STATE TO LONDON GREAT MUSIC AT THE GRAND THIS FEBRUARY! Wed, Feb 15, 2023 | 7:30 PM Thu, Feb 16, 2023 | 7:30 PM Fri, Feb 24, 2023 | 8 PM TICKETS ON SALE NOW! 409.765.1894 | THEGRAND.COM 2020 POSTOFFICE STREET, GALVESTONNext >