BRATTLEBORO — Ruggles & Hunt, purveyors of clothing, gifts, home furnishings, and creative toys, is putting on a fashion show at the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center on Tuesday, Oct. 23, at 6 p.m.
Proceeds support BMAC's work with infants, toddlers, and preschoolers in Head Start classrooms throughout southern Vermont. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door, and include admission to the fashion show, one drink, delicious finger food, and great entertainment in a beautiful setting.
Tickets are available online at www.brattleboromuseum.org, by calling 802-257-0124, ext. 101, or in person at the museum or either of Ruggles & Hunt's two stores in Walpole, N.H., and Brattleboro.
“We've been doing this for years in Walpole, raising money for the Cocoa Farming Futures Initiative,” said Ruggles & Hunt owner Vicki Gohl in a news release. “We're thrilled to be doing a fashion show in Brattleboro, too - especially in support of such a worthwhile cause as the museum's Head Start program."
Gohl says the fashion show is less about haute couture and more about fun, with a heavy dose of community spirit.
“Our 'models' are by no means professionals. They're our neighbors, friends, family members, customers, and kids, and they come in all shapes, sizes, ages, and genders.”
With the fashion show taking place one week before Halloween, guests are encouraged to get creative with their own outfits. Up to $300 in gift certificates to Ruggles & Hunt and other great prizes will be given out to the guests with the best hat, mask, and costume.
Net proceeds from the fashion show will help fund BMAC's Head Start Arts Partnership program. Since 2001, the museum has partnered with the social services agency Early Education Services to provide art and music instruction in 15 Head Start classrooms in and around Brattleboro.
The program serves approximately 250 infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, many of whom come from families struggling with addiction, homelessness, and food insecurity.