Though it’s been more than a month since I got home from Engage, I’m not going to let the time lapsed stop me from writing about it. Because the Gala on the last night? It was truly a once-in-a-lifetme experience. Start with a particular point in history when, between Downton Abbey and the Great Gatsby movie, 20’s style has never been more in vogue. Add in the majestic Biltmore Estate, the largest privately owned house in America. Make sure it has a stupendous view. Choose a picture-perfect summer day. Invite a crowd that reinvents the idea of a costume party. Fringe and sequins and feathers, oh my! Serve the most delicious food, arrange for stunning decor, bring in pitch-perfect period jazz music. And a fire breather, just for good measure. Yes, seriously. Now add in one gal who adores Downton Abbey, whose second favorite book of all time is The Great Gatsby, and who leaps at any excuse to dress up. There. That is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Quite literally, almost: I had the chance to chat with one of the gals who works in the Biltmore catering office, and she said that they usually only do two events per year on the South Lawn — and that she had never seen anything like this one. Until time travel is possible, I think this is the closest I will ever come to experiencing another era, and I am just tickled that I got to do so. Hope you enjoyed the peek! All photos by Allan Zepeda, Jeremie Barlow, and Carla Ten Eyck & Andrew Henderson except second and group photo near bottom