Take a break from your grab-and-go coffee routine; instead, sit down for an elaborate high tea like how the Queen and King Charles would on a Saturday afternoon.
Take sips of tea out of delicate bone China cups and reach out for treats from tall tiered stands at "High Tea with the Queen and King Charles" fundraiser this weekend — all without having to worry about the highfalutin decorum of stirring a cup of tea with zero noise or sticking your pinky out when lifting a cup.
The idea of the event is to have “a nice afternoon where you can chit-chat, meet people and spend some money,” said Barbara Moncrief, who is part of the event's organizing team at Daughters of Nile — an international fraternal organization for women that has 700 members in Mainland B.C.
Organized every spring and fall, the event is a fundraiser for the Shriners Hospital for Children in Montreal, Quebec. Last year, each edition of the event raised more than $7,000, said Moncrief.
For a $20 entry ticket, participants get to indulge in a large menu that includes tea, coffee (for those who prefer that), bites of mini egg salad- or ham-and-pickle-filled croissants, open-faced sandwiches with cream cheese and cucumber, scones with strawberry jam and clotted cream, cupcakes and cookies.
Besides the royal spread, the event will include a row of vendors selling handmade jewellery, clothing, and more, and a fashion show featuring clothes by Tsawwassen-based mobile boutique called The Rack.
To add to the fun, the one-day fundraiser will also include a silent auction where participants can bid for themed-baskets curated specifically for kids, dogs, wine and cheese lovers, and others; and a "cork draw," where when you buy a cork for $20, you get a bag — with the corresponding number that's on the cork — that could include a bottle of wine, vodka, tequila or other spirits, said Moncrief.
But, do we have to show up in a classy floral midi or blazer and tie?
There is no dress code — except, no shorts, confirmed Moncrief.
“But…,” she added, “I'm wearing a dress, and I got myself a fascinator to feel like it is an English tea.”
The high tea event is on Saturday, May 13, between 12 and 4 p.m. at Sapperton Pensioner’s Hall, 318 Keary St. Tickets will be available at the door. The fall event will be on Sunday, Nov. 19 at the Centennial Lodge at Queen’s Park.
