Catholic Charities’ 35th annual Mardi Gras is Saturday, Jan. 28, from 5:30 to 11:30 p.m. at River’s Edge Convention Center in St. Cloud.
A benefit for the Catholic Charities Emergency Services Food Shelf and Catholic Charities Domus Transitional Housing, the event begins with hors d’oeuvres and music by Andrew Walesch from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. A silent auction featuring a Felling trailer and bottle of Buffalo Trace 1980 vintage bourbon will also be held during that time. The gourmet dinner will be served at 7:30 p.m. followed by dancing to the Fabulous Armadillos until 11:30 p.m.
Through a contest for winning charities to later auction off, Buffalo Trace Distillery recently released 200 collectible bottles of bourbon whiskey, valued at $10,000 each. Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Cloud entered the contest and described why it deserved to win one of the bottles — the staff knew that a $10,000 bottle could be auctioned at Mardi Gras to buy $40,000-worth of groceries for hungry families. On Nov. 1 they learned that they were one of the winners.
The auction for the bourbon, which will be displayed at the Mardi Gras event, has already begun online and ends at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 28. Reservations are required for the event. To make reservations or bid on the whiskey, visit ccstcloud.org/mardigras.