By Dominique ROCHA

On Saturday, St. Luke’s of the Mountains Episcopal Church is hosting its second annual dinner gala. From 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., attendees can share a night of live music, dinner, drinks and more while getting to know their neighbors. 

The gala began last year as a way to celebrate the church’s 100th anniversary. 

“It was successful enough that we decided to do another year,” said Bart Stratton, Bishop’s Warden. “We plan to do it every fall [into] the foreseeable future.”

This year, the event will be smaller and held in the church’s Parish Hall. 

The theme of the night will be Love One Another, a play on the biblical phrase Love Thy Neighbor, and was chosen with the intent of bringing together the community and encouraging neighborly relationships. 

“We live in a very diverse time, and there is a lot of isolation in La Crescenta,” Stratton said. “We want to promote that ‘love your neighbor’ feeling and that community feeling for La Crescenta.”

The gala will feature a buffet-style dinner followed by homemade dessert, beer and wine for purchase and a mocktail bar. Ambience will be set with dinner music played in the background by a musical trio featuring some regular performers at the church. The gala will also have a silent auction with 22 curated and themed baskets such as travel essentials, an espresso-themed basket, a selection of books for all ages and more. 

Along with the silent auction, the gala will also include a program auction where participants can sponsor specific church programs or ministries by pledging donations.

“We’ve always been very connected to the community,” said Vicar Guy Leemhuis. “We want to be able to continue to do that, so we have to make sure we do this annual fundraiser as a way to support our many ministries that support our work in the community.” 

All the proceeds raised from the gala auctions and admissions will go toward several of the church’s projects, ministries and groups such as St. Luke’s Young Adult Ministry, Firehouse Ministry and more. The funds raised will also be allocated toward repairs to the 101-year-old stone church

Tickets to the gala are $50 and can be purchased at the door. 

“I hope people have a good time and they feel connected to the community,” Vicar Leemhuis said.