Feathered Jewels Gala

The National Aviary’s biennial Feathered Jewels Gala, presented by National City, took flight at the Hunt Armory in Shadyside, featuring a Latin American Fiesta theme, cocktails, dinner, and dancing. The most spectacular part of the evening was a free flight bird show, allowing the crowd of 800 to see the birds up close, including vultures, owls, and macaws flying over the guests’ heads as they were seated in the main hall. The National Aviary also revealed the design for its planned expansion and its new Avian Immersion Theater. “The theater will offer free flight bird shows that will educate and entertain,” Ellis says. An impressive $400,000 was grossed for the Aviary. Photos by David Bachman.