The Junior League of Dallas is saddling up for its second annual Giddy Up For Good Auction Party on Friday, November 6, running from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Hotel ZaZa Dallas Uptown. Tickets range from $175 to $250, and the western-themed evening carries a Denim & Diamonds dress code, cowboy-inspired charm, heavy hors d'oeuvres, cocktails, music, dancing and a live auction, all built around one goal: funneling money into JLD's Community Service Fund.
According to CultureMap Dallas, the party takes place at Hotel ZaZa Dallas Uptown, located at 2332 Leonard Street. That marks a shift from last year's venue: the 2025 edition of Giddy Up For Good was held on November 7 at Southside Music Hall at Gilley's Dallas, where guests got VIP access, live music and interactive experiences, per PaperCity Magazine. Hotel ZaZa itself operates as a Mediterranean-inspired luxury boutique hotel with themed concept suites and the Dragonfly restaurant, sitting in the heart of Uptown's nightlife and dining district, according to Travel Weekly.
A Century-Old Organization Behind the Boots and Bling
The Junior League of Dallas was founded in 1922 with just 40 charter members and has since grown to nearly 5,000 active and sustaining members, making it one of the largest individual chapters in the Association of Junior Leagues International, according to a report from D Magazine. The League distributes approximately $1 million in annual funding and contributes somewhere between 50,000 and 100,000 uncompensated volunteer hours to nonprofit initiatives across Dallas County, per JLD's own figures.
That money and labor show up in concrete ways around the city. Through its Grants for Innovative Teaching program, JLD awarded $79,541 across 35 individual grants to Dallas ISD educators in October 2024, part of more than $2.2 million distributed to local classrooms over the program's history, as reported by Advocate Magazine. Those grants fund creative classroom projects spanning STEM, special education, literacy and the arts.
Beyond Grants: Volunteers on the Ground
JLD's role extends past writing checks. The League recruits and manages more than 500 community volunteers annually for the Dallas Mayor's Back-to-School Fair at Fair Park, which marked its 30th anniversary earlier this month serving more than 10,000 students, as Hoodline previously reported. That fair provides free school supplies, vision exams and immunizations to families across the city.
The organization also partners directly with the City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture and Friends of the Juanita J. Craft Civil Rights House to support programming and historical preservation at the Warren Avenue landmark, which commemorates civil rights leader Juanita J. Craft and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. JLD's giving is bolstered by the Junior League of Dallas Centennial Endowment Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization holding more than $16 million in reported total assets, according to Cause IQ, with investment earnings helping sustain multi-year project commitments across the county.
Part of a Broader Fundraising Calendar
The autumn auction isn't JLD's only major fundraiser for the Community Service Fund. Its spring counterpart, the Milestones Luncheon, held its 15th annual edition on April 10 at the Fairmont Dallas Hotel this year, featuring keynote speaker Priya Parker, according to PaperCity Magazine. Together, the two events combine individual ticket sales with corporate sponsorships to help the League meet its roughly $1 million annual commitment to community programs across Dallas.
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