Castle in the Clouds to host Mardi Gras Masquerade Gala fundraiser Aug. 19

MOULTONBOROUGH — Castle in the Clouds is looking forward to hosting the nonprofit’s largest fundraiser of the year, Mardi Gras Masquerade Gala fundraiser on Friday, Aug. 19 at 5 p.m. Bringing a taste of Mardi Gras to the Lakes Region, the Gala event will feature authentic NOLA jazz, cocktails, dinner, dancing, and a live auction of unique Castle experiences.

Live auction items include a sunset picnic on the Lucknow lawn, private tours of the Lucknow Mansion, brunch on the Castle sun parlor, and much more. “Our annual Gala is one of the most fun and exciting events that we host each year,” says Castle Preservation Society Executive Director, Charles Clark. “It offers the community a great opportunity to come together in support of our mission to preserve, restore, and share this magnificent property.”

All proceeds from the Mardi Gras Masquerade will benefit the restoration and rehabilitation of Maple Lodge — the quaint gatehouse that welcomes visitors to the Castle property at the top of Ossipee Park Road. Once fully restored Maple Lodge will allow the Castle to fulfill one of its key strategic priorities, that of expanding educational and public programming. The building will become the permanent home of the Castle’s growing library of archival documents about the history of the property and will provide much needed multi-use space and offices for the Castle’s education team.

“This is one of our most ambitious restoration projects to date,” says Clark, “exterior restoration gets underway this summer, addressing structural damage and eliminating water incursion to protect the interior of the building.” In addition, the project will include the restoration of the historic windows and doors, maintaining the historic character of the building. Once the exterior restoration is complete, the Castle team plans to immediately move on to rehabilitation of the interior. Fundraising for the project has been going well, and Clark points out that the support from the community has been exceptional. “The total project cost is estimated at nearly $800,000. We’ve already raised more than $640,000, and expect that the proceeds from the Mardi Gras Masquerade Gala will help get us even closer to our goal!”

Anyone interested in purchasing tickets to the Mardi Gras Masquerade Gala or making a donation in support of the Maple Lodge restoration can do so at the Castle’s website www.castleintheclouds.org.

For more information or to learn more about upcoming programs and events, call 603-476-5900 or visit castleintheclouds.org.