French Heritage Society to Host Celestial Ball Celebrating Notre-Dame Reopening in NYC

The French Heritage Society will host its annual Gala Dinner Dance, the Celestial Ball, at a private club in New York City on November 15th. This year’s ball will celebrate the historic reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral and honor the contributions of Americans, including both philanthropists and artisans, to its restoration. Special guests include Odile de Schiétère-Longchampt, an interior designer and champion of FHS and French decorative arts, and Hank Silver, the American carpenter who spent a year-and-a-half rebuilding the wooden roof framing of the cathedral’s nave. The black-tie affair will feature music and dancing provided by the Bob Hardwick Sound.

On Wednesday, September 25th, FHS kicked off its gala season with a cocktail event hosted by FHS Board Member and former gala honoree Jean Shafiroff at her residence. Remarks were given by Shafiroff, FHS Events Chair CeCe Black, and FHS Executive Director Jennifer Herlein. New York State Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright also presented Jean and Martin Shafiroff, as well as the French Heritage Society, with certificates of recognition for their contributions to preserving French architectural and cultural heritage.

Esteemed guests included FHS Board Members Jennifer Farrell, Rosann Gutman, and Liz McDermott Barnes, along with Pauline Argenson, Allison Baroness von Arnim, Susan and Jerry Baker, Candace Bushnell, Talia Carner, Yann Coatanlem, Liliana Cavendish, Francine Crocker, and others.

Upcoming FHS events include a dinner at the residence of the French Ambassador to the United States in Washington, D.C. on October 7th, a Chairman’s Circle trip to Côtes du Rhône from October 17-23rd, the New York Gala on November 15th, Thanksgiving Dinner in Paris on November 26th, the Palm Beach Gala on February 16th, 2025, and the Dîner des Mécènes in Paris on May 20th, 2025.

About French Heritage Society

Open to all lovers of France, French Heritage Society aims to ensure that the treasures of French architectural and cultural heritage survive to delight, educate and inspire future generations. Over the past 42 years, FHS has awarded approximately 685 restoration and cultural grants to properties throughout France and in the United States and selected and supported more than 580 university students who have crossed the Atlantic for internships at esteemed institutions. FHS has 11 chapters, 10 in the U.S. and one in Paris, and membership includes access to all.