Ashley McKnight-Taylor

The 10th Annual Folly Ball and Live/Silent Auction March 18 is going to be a sassy n make that a sizzling n affair.

“City Sizzle” is, in fact, the theme for this year’s fundraising event. Riddick’s Folly Board Member Sandra Leggett-Wilson said they chose the theme “Because right now we feel like Suffolk is sizzling.”

The d\u00E9cor for the event, which will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn, will reflect that sentiment. A glittering, 20-foot cityscape will rise behind the band, hand-made centerpieces will sparkle with glitter and sequins. And those are just a few of the shiny pieces that will bring the look together.

“Everything’s going to be very bright and glitzy. Sizzling,” said Leggett-Wilson, who made many of the decorations herself.

Organizers are excited, to say the least.

“This kicks butt this year,” said Riddick’s Folly Director Robin Rountree of the silent auction.

The items are better than ever, and include, an antique mahogany desk, a lady’s beach cruiser bicycle, a handmade sleigh chock full of Christmas items, “A Taste of Suffolk” sampler with gift certificates to 13 area restaurants, and much more.

The cocktail hour is from 7:30-8:30 p.m. and will feature heavy hors D’oeuvres and entertainment by Melissa Lowder, a part-time worker at Riddick’s Folly who plays the flute.

The party really gets stared at 8:30 p.m. with The Gentlemen and Their Lady, a dance band that plays everything from oldies to rock and more.

And the crowd, Leggett said, it just as diverse. The event is black-tie optional. Most men wear a tuxedo or dark suit; the woman show up in anything from a pantsuit to a short cocktail dress to bare shoulders and ball gowns, Rountree said. It doesn’t really matter what people wear, “but you have to look sizzling!”

Leggett-Wilson said people of all different ages and backgrounds would have lots of fun. And despite the dress code and the fact that it’s a museum event, the Ball is “not at all a ‘stuffy’ affair.”

“We love to have a good time.”

“It’s just a wonderful community feeling,” Leggett-Wilson added. “We will make [people] feel very comfortable, I promise you.”

The Folly Ball is, indeed, a good time, but it is also the major fundraiser for Riddick’s Folly.

It is “vital to the operation of Riddick’s Folly,” Leggett-Wilson said.

In the past about 120 people attended the Ball, but this year, with the bigger venue, they hope to have about 200 people, Rountree said. The money raised goes toward the operation and maintenance of Riddick’s Folly, as well as acquisitions for the museum.

“A building this old takes a lot of work,” Rountree said.

Tickets for the Folly Ball and Live/Silent Auction are $65 per person and include two complimentary drinks. The RSVP date is March 10. Call Lee King at Riddick’s Folly at (757) 934-1390.