BBP Gala: Making Waves

Buffalo Bayou Partnership is holding its annual gala, Making Waves, on Thursday, November 5, 2026, at The Water Works in Buffalo Bayou Park. It's an outdoor event, so you'll be right there in the park rather than inside a ballroom, which fits the whole point of the night. The evening runs from 6:30 to 10:30 PM, starting with cocktails and moving into a seated dinner.

This is the Partnership's big annual fundraiser, and the money goes toward their work along Buffalo Bayou. The organization describes its goal as transforming the bayou into a dynamic destination that connects communities, inspires stewardship, and enriches lives. If you've spent any time on the trails or at the parks along the waterway, you've seen what that looks like in practice. The gala is the night they gather to celebrate those achievements and raise the funds to keep the work going.

This year's edition is co-chaired by Catherine and Matt Matthews and Alison and Chris Porter. The evening follows a familiar gala format—cocktails first, then a seated dinner—but the outdoor setting at The Water Works puts the bayou itself right in the mix. It's a night for people who care about the city's green spaces to get together and support the organization that manages them.

Tickets are tiered, so you can go in as a group or on your own. Tables for ten are available at $25,000, $15,000, $10,000, and $6,500, and individual tickets are $1,500, $1,000, or $650. The gala runs from 6:30 to 10:30 PM on Thursday, November 5, at The Water Works in Buffalo Bayou Park.