The 2026 Jewel Charity Ball whisked 1,400 guests into a World of Wonder, filled with splendor and spectacle.

Fort Worth's most beloved black-tie ball, held Saturday, March 7, transformed the expansive Will Rogers Memorial Center's Amon G. Carter Exhibits Hall into a sumptuous garden party-fantasy set in an Emerald City.

Jewel Charity Ball president Lezlie Monteleone chose the theme "World of Wonder" as a nod to both the evening's featured jeweler, Australian designer Margot McKinney, and to the organization's mission: raising crucial funds for Cook Children's Medical Center.

"Tonight, we celebrate you - the brilliant gems of Jewel Charity - and the wonder of our combined generosity," Monteleone wrote in her President's Letter in the Jewel Book. "...The artistry of [Margot McKinney's] jewels is the inspiration for our beautiful theme, World of Wonder. Margot reminds us that beauty and compassion go hand in hand."

For the first time, Jewel Charity Ball supported not only patient care at Cook's but the hospital's Endocrinology Department, as well.

Helping to guide the evening were the event’s co-chairs Regan Haggerty, Susan Medina, Kelley Roberts, and Heather Senter - along with a small village of volunteers. They worked alongside event designer Melanie Tatum and her team at Melanie Tatum Events to bring the dazzling World of Wonder to life.

The green door at the entryway.Photo by Derek Gower

To enter the event, guests stepped through an enchanting emerald-green door vignette surrounded by garden greenery. Green was the signature color of the evening, and the green door was inspired by the signature entryway to McKinney's flagship store in Brisbane, Australia.

Upon plucking a glass of Champagne from the Champagne Wall, many made a bee-line for one of the biggest delights of the evening: The Wolfgang Puck Caviar Experience. It wasn't in name only - famed celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck was there in person, preparing caviar bumps and blinis for star-struck attendees. The affable chef posed for photos and Instagram-worthy videos as he dolloped "bumps" on the backs of their hands. (It was just days before he headed to L.A. to cater the Oscars Governors Ball.)

Margot McKinney, Chef Wolfgang Puck, and Lezlie Monteleone in the jewelry showroom.Photo by Derek Gower

Part of the fun of Jewel Charity Ball is the chance to try on high jewelry that most only admire through store windows. Inside an intimate showroom, guests could try on sparkling Margot McKinney designs, filled with rare South Sea pearls, shimmering Australian opals, and stunning amethysts, peridot, emeralds, sapphires, tourmaline, and more. As McKinney's jewelry is not sold locally - Beverly Hills is the closest they get to Fort Worth - the Jewel Ball offered the rare opportunity to chat with the designer herself and purchase her pieces, with a portion of proceeds going to Cook Children's.

During the cocktail reception - between bites of mini beef Wellingtons, lobster arancini, freeze-dried citrus "pearls," and smoked salmon macarons - patrons bid on dozens of extravagant silent auction items: trips to Tuscany, San Miguel, and Argentina; paintings by artists Nancy Lamb, Talley Scott, and Stephen Seltzer; fine jewelry, shopping and staycation packages, signed sports and music memorabilia, and much more.

Raffle tickets offered the chance to go home with a $5,000 Central Market gift card, $2,500 Neiman Marcus shopping spree, his-and-hers custom ostrich boots, use of a Maserati, and more.

An aerialist swings from a chandelier above a bar in the dining room.Photo by Derek Gower

The dining room doors opened at 8 pm to reveal an extravagant scene: Dozens of chandeliers hung from the ceiling, over the room bathed in green light. Aerialists and performers inside "living chandeliers" swayed and spun on the floor and in the air, and string instrumentalists perched on pedestals played throughout the room. Bountiful floral designs in vibrant jewel tones adorned each table.

Guests sat down to a full-service, three-course dinner by Wolfgang Puck Catering (rather than a buffet this year), complete with tableside wine service. Each place was set with a glass cloche containing a creamy crab and shrimp salad with basil mint panna cotta, mango pearls, and red watercress. Main course was a diamond cut beef tenderloin with potato pave, artichoke and spinach, and black garlic and mustard red wine reduction.

The showstopper, though, was the dessert: A chocolate and raspberry “seashell” with whipped vanilla beans creme fraiche, fresh raspberries, flourless chocolate cake, and dark chocolate cremeux.

The table pre-set with a shrimp and crab salad under a cloche and a chocolate-raspberry "seashell" for dessert.Photo by Derek Gower

Eschewing the usual tradition of a big headliner kicking off the night's entertainment (the last two have been The Steve Miller Band and Diana Ross), Jewel Charity this year went straight into party mode with high-tempo dance bands. Two groups presented by entertainment agency Elan Artists - the variety dance band Sound House and all-female tribute band GirlPower - surrounded by a brass section on one side of the stage and strings on the other, got the crowd on its feet even before some were finished with dinner.

The dance floor filled as people sang along to their favorite cover songs. Guests were outfitted with brightly colored blinking glasses and necklaces, taking the party-energy up another notch. Remarkably, the bands played at full throttle for over two hours, to the crowd's delight. Women with aching soles kicked off their heels and continued dancing in bare feet. (Why aren't evening bags big enough for flip-flops?)

The crowd dances to party bands Sound House and GirlPower.Photo by Derek Gower

All that dancing begged for some late-night refueling, which came courtesy of tray-passed Australian Wagyu beef and blue cheese burgers and bistro fries, and hand-filled and -dipped chocolate cannoli. Close to midnight, bartenders shook up creamy but stout mini Brandy Alexander cocktails at one station, and Liquid Nitrogen Edible Cigars with Chocolate-Smoked Don Julio Tequila at another. On their way to the valet line, guests could fill to-go cups of coffee or hot chocolate.

Co-founded in 1953 by Nenetta Burton Carter and Bille Bransford Clark, the first Jewel Charity Ball took place January 30, 1954 and raised $9,000 for children whose families could not afford their medical care at Cook Children's Medical Center. Totals from the past year are still being tallied, but to date, Jewel Charity has raised more than $85 million for Cook Children's patients. The ball celebrates the Angel donors who generously support them.

Photo by Derek Gower

Simone Henderson, Shannon McCartney, Margot Rodriguez, Lauren Bosse