Wind in the Forecast Can’t Spoil Sweet Air of Festivity

Santa Ana winds forced organizers of Visions of Sugar Plums to take their party indoors Sunday at the Cowan Heights home of Mark and Barbara Johnson.

Instead of having their holiday luncheon in the backyard under a snow white tent, about 100 guests--including 50 teenage members of the St. Joseph Ballet--dined in the garage.

Through it all, Barbara Johnson--chairwoman of the event benefiting the Pacific Symphony and the St. Joseph Ballet--kept smiling.

She’d been there before. The night before, in fact.

On Saturday, she and her husband, Mark Johnson--chairman of the Orange County Performing Arts Center--welcomed 270 guests to their annual private holiday party.

But instead of dining under a tent in the couple’s formal garden, guests dined in the garage, office, kitchen, bedroom, gym--”even the dressing room,” she said, chuckling.

“At 4:30 Saturday, the wind started blowing rather strongly, and we decided to move everything into the house and make room for 270 people,” she explained. “Watching the tent collapse became part of the entertainment.”

Arden Flamson was a guest at both affairs. “Barbara did one of the most marvelous jobs I’ve ever seen of pulling something together,” Flamson said of the Saturday night event. “I ate in the kitchen, and it was fun, cozy. We sat there and watched the tent fall down.”

Said Mark Johnson: “It was a surprise we dealt with.”

On Sunday, the teenagers joined members of Orange County’s arts community for a luncheon and fashion show.

The party had a unique format: Adult guests were invited to donate $250 each to sponsor a member of St. Joseph Ballet in Santa Ana, a dance organization that serves Orange County’s at-risk youth.

Each child used the money to buy an outfit, which he or she modeled at the luncheon.

“It was harder than you might think for the children to pick out their clothing,” said Beth Burns, artistic director of the St. Joseph Ballet. “It was such a special experience that some of them were worried they might make a mistake.”

Since it was founded 13 years ago, the St. Joseph Ballet has served 28,000 young people through its classes and educational outreach programs.

“We serve at-risk youth by giving them opportunities--helping them make powerful choices so they don’t make self-destructive ones,” Burns said.

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Holiday tea: Members of Red Ribbon 100--a support group of the Orange County Chapter of the American Red Cross--gathered last week for a formal tea at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Dana Point.

Dressed in holiday finery, the women brought gifts for the Youth Services Holiday Children’s Project sponsored by the Red Cross. After placing the gifts under one of two grandly decorated hotel trees, the women sat in the library, sipping tea and dining on tiny sandwiches, scones and strawberry shortcake.

“Usually our holiday tea is held in a private home,” said Priscilla Selman, president of Red Ribbon 100. “But this year we chose the Ritz-Carlton for its view and its classic holiday decor.” Sandy Miller was event chairwoman.