Shelby About Town

Houston car collectors take over the 18th hole of Pebble Beach and wow a Cristal-chugging crowd

While well-dressed patricians from across the country strolled the grounds of the Pebble Beach Lodge on Sunday, a troupe of Houstonians made very merry during the Concours d'Elegance, the ultimate vintage car show that unfolded on the 18th hole of the famed Pebble Beach Golf Course.

The group had good reason to join in the flowing champagne toasts as one of their own walked off with three awards.

The champagne, preferably Cristal, flows. The afternoon feasts are catered with lavish menus including every rich delight from caviar to succulent fried chicken.

Retired oil executive (National Oilwell) and avid car collector Jim Fasnacht took bows with first and second place in the Ruxton class and received a special Rolex award for his dedication to assembling a historic class of cars. Fasnacht has more than 60 cars in his collection, seven of which are the rare Ruxtons, each of them on display at Pebble Beach.

Also welcomed to show their prized wheels at the invitation-only Concours were Houstonians Janie and Roberto Quiroz, entering their 1956 Maserati in the competition, and retired oil exec John Bookout, Jr. whose 1951 Maserati A6G 2000 Frua Spyder earned a third place in its class.

As is tradition, the partying unfolds across the verdant lawn overlooking the Pacific Ocean as guests dress up, some in vintage costuming and most all in hats, and set up their gourmet picnic parties across the grounds. The champagne, preferably Cristal, flows. The afternoon feasts are catered with lavish menus including every rich delight from caviar to succulent fried chicken.

Houstonians among those dressing up for the festive afternoon were Cathy and Dr. Gary Brock, Randa and K.C. Weiner, Julie Culver, Nancy and David Pustka, Amy and John Aubrey and Dr. Mark Brinker.

Jim Fasnacht has had a love of cars since he was 7 and began collecting at age 16. The 59-year-old still has his first acquisition — a Corvette Stingray. He shares that love of cars with Evelyn. "And yes, I collect," she tells CultureMap. "But my taste runs to the cheap seats — micros and minis like the Crosley, the BMW Isetta, Messerschmitt and a few art cars."

Jim and Evelyn Fasnacht toast their first place win in the Ruxton class at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.

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Starry Night

Elegant Museum of Fine Arts, Houston gala raises $1.6 million

Photo by Michelle Watson

Scott and Geraldine Wise; Renu and Suresh Khator.

A landscape of midnight blue and the glow of chandeliers set the scene for the 2025 Grand Gala Ball at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, in the Caroline Wiess Law Building. This year’s sold-out affair honored longtime supporter J. Venn Leeds, whose philanthropic signature on the museum spans decades.

Guests stepped through a tented entrance swathed in deep blue linens and soft candlelight while inside, the cocktail reception featured white banquettes, gold accents, and floral arrangements that struck a balance between sleek and celebratory.

Dinner in Cullinan Hall transported attendees to an indoor garden-meets-starry-night vignette created by The Events Company. Trees and florals filled the room, silver-embroidered tablecloths shimmered under a collection of chandeliers, and the Manhattan Orchestra provided the evening’s soundtrack.

The evening raised over $1.625 million, thanks to robust support from donors and the introduction of the Jan and J. Venn Leeds Grand Gala Ball Operating Endowment.

This year’s lead underwriter was the Hildebrand Fund. Other underwriters included ExxonMobil, Cherie and Jim Flores, Nancy and Rich Kinder, the Leeds. Fayez Sarofim & Co., Susan D. Sarofim, Anne S. Duncan, Lynne and Joe Hudson, Cornelia C. Long, the Schnitzer Family, and Margaret Alkek Williams.

Among those joining the celebration were Alvin Abraham, Claudia Kreisle, Sara Morgan, Ann and Karl Stern, Doug and Melissa Schnitzer, Joan Schnitzer, Janie and Daniel Zilkha, Michelle and Frank Hevrdejs, Durga and Sushila Agrawal, Anu and Shirish Lal, Paula and Reggie DesRoches, Suresh and Renu Khator, Cyvia Wolff, Nancy and Butch Abendshein, Meredith Cullen, Carla Knobloch, Andrius and Tamara Kontrimas, Dan and Kirsten Zimmerman, Will and Kristin Pritchard, Leslie and Jack Blanton Jr., Kathy and Marty Goossen, and Jay Jones and Terry Wayne Jones.