Despite the intermittent rainy weather in Santa Fe over the weekend, the music never faltered for Houston Grand Opera patrons making their annual pilgrimage to that cultural mecca in the high desert.

While taking in Santa Fe Opera productons of Madame Butterfly, Tales of Hoffman and the world premiere Life Is a Dream, the group found plenty of time for socializing. Donna and Bob Bruni, San Antonio residents who summer in Santa Fe, opened their home for a buffet dinner on the first night. Guests, including Santa Fe Opera artists and other locals, are still swooning over the corn soufflé. Everyone loves an invitation to the Bruni casa with its grand views of the Sandia Mountains.

The following night, Janie and Wayne Patterson opened their Santa Fe vacation home in La Tierra Nueva for a glorious seated dinner and, on Sunday, Connie and Byron Dyer hosted the group to brunch at Las Campanas Club.

Soaking up the fab Santa Fe environs and hospitality were Valerie Palmquist and Tracy Dietrich, Beth Madison, Joanne and David Dorenfeld, Sonia Goodrum, Zahava Haenosh, Douglas Petitt and more.

Birthday at the barre

No ordinary birthday celebration for Heather Pray, who has one foot planted with the Houston Downtown Alliance and the other with Houston Young People for the Arts. She rounded up a pride of girlfriends Saturday night for a little fancy footwork with Houston Ballet principal dancer Connor Walsh.

In their best work-out attire (one actually wore a tutu), the ladies assembled at Hope Stone Center's dance studio for a 45-minute routine under Walsh's instruction. Reveling in the revelé were ballet fan Kristy Junco, Houston Ballet's Sarah Meals, Jenny Antill, Jane Catherine Collins, Dance Houston's Andrea Cody, Melissa Fitzgerald, Liz Cleveland and more. It was champagne for everyone at the conclusion!

Walsh will perform in Hope Stone's season opener, Lemonade Stand, showing three weekends in August at Barnevelder Movement Arts Complex.

Bahama mama b'day

What would we do without these creative birthday bashes to keep us entertained all summer long? Katherine Orellana was at the center of attention in Ocean's upstairs lounge Saturday night where her two favorite guys, her beau Kyle Ross, and bestie Nick Espinosa, hosted a Bahamas-themed celebration.

The party agenda included grooving to island beats, grazing through exotic ceviche taste treats, sampling Crave cupcakes and sipping on rum cocktails and various other libations.

Getting into the swing in island attire were Jessica Rossman and Gordon Bethune, Stuart Rosenberg, Kathy and Dr. Paul Mann, Miya Shay, Carlos Meltzer, Jennifer LeGrand and Brent Howard, Alex Martinez, Carla Valencia de Martinez, Sharron and Errol McLaughlin, Gloria Luna and Jesse Bounds and so many more.