Ready, Jet, Go!

The Party
The not-to-miss arty party of the year is hands down Monte Carlo, which benefits the powerhouse that is MCASD. This year, a crowd of 700 raised more than $400,000.

The People
Move over, RuPaul. The drag queens from Lips San Diego dolled up as sassy stewardesses, greeting guests on the red carpet and catapulting the evening’s jet-set theme into full, fabulous motion. Cultural elite in attendance included gala chairs Natasha and John Ippolito, Sonia Mandelbaum, Mark Quint and the Strauss family.

Best in Show
For the afterparty, which is an event unto itself, there was a dizzying selection of thematic hot spots to visit. Riviera’s Turkish coffee lounge, designed by Pow Wow with lush florals by Tenfold Style, was just the spot to perk up for the evening’s primo people-watching. Then it was off to the Red Light District, where burlesque performers shook their things, and to Italy for a refueling stop of pizza and vino. Also on the itinerary: a South Beach-inspired scotch and cigar lounge overlooking the ocean. And because this is S.D.’s night-owl gala of the year, guests stuck around until midnight to be whisked off to Times Square for a ball drop, dancing under a shower of confetti. We’re already counting down until next year. -Photos by Stacy Keck