Foxtrot in an Island Landmark

Slip into your finery and catch a boat back to the 1920s (and Catalina Island).

IT ISN'T ALL THAT UNUSUAL... to hope for a fox sighting while on the boat over to Catalina Island. After all, the Island Fox is a beloved inhabitant of the Channel Islands, and the chance to catch a momentary glimpse of these fleet-of-foot, furry-of-coat superstars doesn't come around every day. But if you're wishing for a fox sighting, and to also perform the foxtrot, all in the course of a single weekend, ah, well then: You're obviously on your way to the Avalon Ball, one of dressiest, danciest dates on the island calendar.

IF YOU KNOW... your Avalon architecture, then you'll likely know exactly where the Avalon Ball takes place: It's the Casino Building, the 1920s-era gem that sits grandly in the Pacific, or seemingly so, depending upon where you view it from (it is indeed connected to the island itself, and isn't on another smaller isle adjacent to Catalina). The ball is heading into its 14th year, which makes it rather easy to remember its 2016 date: Saturday, May 14. Hosted by the Art Deco Society of Los Angeles, the Avalon Ball is very much about looking your flapper-esque best and shimmying to big band tunes under the vintage ballroom's Tiffany chandeliers. 

RETRO-SMOOTH PERFORMER... Dean Mora will be at the mic, along with the Avalon Ball Dance Orchestra. Evening gloves, bow ties, dramatic fringe, and Brylcreemed locks are all part of the style, which is as time-machine-y as soirees come nowadays. Lending it further mystery is the fact that you're on an island that feels away from it all, especially come nighttime when the boat lights twinkle on the water of the harbor, just outside of the ballroom. Will you foxtrot during the ball? Here's hoping. Will you see a wee fox, out in the island's interior, during a hike the following day, should you choose to stay on Catalina a bit longer? Perhaps, though you'll probably spy a buffalo or three, even if the foxes are shy. It's a spectacular trip to the past, and to an island, all at once, and those two experiences typically arrive separately. Have fun in 1929, Art Deco devotees, and give our best to the foxes, and the buffalo, oh, and those Catalina-cool flying fishies...

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