Ideal Saturday night plans: luscious martini tasting, a stimulating art auction and the toe-tapping jams of live music. The Allied Arts Artini Party "? scheduled from 7 to 11 p.m. Saturday at the Waterford Marriott, 6300 Waterford Blvd. "? offers them all in an evening featuring an art auction accompanied by the musical entertainment of Superfreak, as well as mouthwatering food and beverages served up from Oklahoma City's finest restaurants competing for "Best Artini."
Hosted by Allied Arts Young Patrons Group, this year's installment of the annual fund-raiser event sports a James Bond-inspired theme of "Artini Royale: Shaken Not Stirred," and features participating restaurants such as the Blue Fire Grille, Iguana Lounge and Paseo Grill.
Angye Tilley, Allied Arts manager of external relations and workplace giving, said the event has racked up five years of serving up creative martinis to become one of the metro's most popular events for young art connoisseurs in Oklahoma City, and this year shows no signs of slowing down.
"We raised more than $18,000 last year for Allied Arts, and I know this year will generate even more awareness of the arts and mobilize resources among the 40-and-younger demographic," Tilley said.
Renowned journalist H.L. Mencken once called the martini "the only American invention as perfect as the sonnet." To test his theory, tickets are $60 in advance, or $70 at the door. All proceeds benefit Allied Arts. For more information, call 278-8944 or visit www.alliedartsokc.com.
"?Joanna Rus
