Gala Blanca: A Magical Night in White to Illuminate Restored Hempstead House at Sands Point Preserve

The elegance of summer meets the enchantment of illusion at Gala Blanca: A Magical Night in White, happening Thursday, August 7, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., in the spectacular Hempstead House Garden. This luminous evening of celebration also marks a major milestone: the full restoration of Hempstead House’s iconic exterior, now gleaming and scaffold-free for the first time in years.

A classic “white party,” Gala Blanca invites guests to don white attire for an evening filled with strolling magicians, a Tarot card reader and gourmet food, including hors d’oeuvres, dinner buffet and passed desserts and s’mores around the fire pits, along with an open bar. And guests can dance the night away as DJ Sal Scott of High Power Productions spins the hottest tracks. The festivities continue at 9:30 p.m. with an exclusive after-party, featuring a spellbinding mentalist show by David Rosenfeld.

Celebrating a Grand Restoration

After years of weather-related damage and structural challenges, Hempstead House is shining brighter than ever. Thanks to critical support from state grants and generous donors, the once-leaking roofs have been fully repaired, including a new skylight over the Palm Court. This essential work now protects the house’s interior from water damage and preserves its foundation for generations to come.

At the same time, long-needed façade repairs were completed, allowing for the removal of unsightly scaffolding and safety sheds that had obscured the front and rear entrances since 2019. Now, the house is restored to its original grandeur.

This restoration effort builds on the recent Hempstead House Garden transformation, completed in 2023, which reimagined the landscape with native, sensory plantings that honor the estate’s history while embracing modern environmental design.

Evening Highlights:

• Cocktail hour with passed hors d’oeuvres
• Buffet-style dinner stations
• Passed desserts and s’mores by the fire pits
• Open bar all night

• DJ Sal Scott of High Power Productions spinning tunes for a night of dancing
• After-party mentalist show with David Rosenfeld (Premium ticket holders only)