It was a very merry holiday gathering at the River Oaks home of Paige and Tilman Fertitta Thursday night with a caroling choir, Christmas decorations galore and a worthy cause to celebrate. And it was a very stylish group that turned out for the sixth annual Santa's Elves Party benefiting M.D. Anderson Children's Cancer Hospital.

Some of the jolliest folks we know continued their role as honorary chairs of the event — Patsy and Greg Fourticq, Gregory Fourticq Jr., Diane and John Connally and Courtney Hill Fertitta and Jason Fertitta.

Close to 250 guests perused the Fertitta home, decorated with at least five Christmas trees and loads of garlands and sparklies. Funds raised thanks to these merry makers support the children's cancer hospital's patient nutrition research program.

Applauding the Houston Children's Chorus and supping on the yummy buffet offerings were guests including a huge list of chairs — Kelli and Eddy Blanton, Nell Frances Connally, John B. Connally, Katie Earthman Cullen, Harry Cullen and more.

And in party-dress crowd were Harris County District Attorney candidate Zack Fertitta and wife Elizabeth, jeweler Wayne Smith and Dennis Lyons, Melissa and Michael Mithoff, Gabriela and Gary Gerhart, Carol Gartsman and Dancie Ware.

Power lunching

PR whiz Cindy Clifford took over the private room at Coppa during lunch on Thursday to salute two outgoing City Council members, whose terms are coming to in an end due to term limits. Taking bows for their stellar roles on City Council were Anne Clutterbuck and Sue Lovell.

Mayor Annise Parker and former Mayor Bill White led the guest list with both praising the women for their service to the city that included work on graffiti abatement, the preservation ordinance, the reconstruction of Kirby Drive and more.

Among the 50 fans raising their glasses in praise of the women were State Rep. Carol Alvarado, Jason Fuller, Robert Miller, Wayne Klotz, City Council member Melissa Noriega, Neil Thomas, Gene Wu, Marty Stein, Russ Frank, Tom Jasien, Angela Blanchard and more.

Celebrating beautiful music

An audience of more than 400 filled Zilka Hall at the Hobby Center for the Virtuosi of Houston 2011-2012 season launch that featured Monzer Hourani, Medistar Corp. CEO, as guest conductor of Beethoven's Coriolan Overture, Opus 62. The baton was soon turned back over to Franz Anton Krager and Andrzej Grabiec, Virtouosi co-founders and professors at the University of Houston Moores School of Music.

Before the concert, guests joined the chamber orchestra musicians backstage for a cocktail reception where they were greeted by Catherine and Andrew Kaldis and Zarine and Meherwan Boyce, chairs of the 2012 gala. Gala honorary chairs attending were John Sheptor and Linda and John Barrett.

Sight 'ems

Jack Blanton Sr. celebrating his 84th birthday over lunch at Tony's where the large round table was set for most of the family including wife, Ginger, and his children and their spouses, Elizabeth and Peter Waring, Leslie and Jack Blanton Jr., and Kelli and Eddy Blanton plus a handful of grandchildren.