City Harvest Gala 2024: See How the Annual Event Served Up Some Soul

City Harvest presented The 2024 Gala: Magic of Motown at Cipriani 42nd Street in Manhattan on April 10.Photo: Eric Vitale PhotographyNEW YORK—On April 10, City Harvest, New York City's first and largest food rescue organization, presented The 2024 Gala: Magic of Motown at Cipriani 42nd Street in Manhattan for 600 guests. 

Hosted by actor Taye Diggs, the event honored two of the organization’s longtime supporters: John Legend and New York Mets owner Alex Cohen. It featured a sit-down dinner and live auction, followed by a dance-and-dessert party in the spirit of the popular variety television show Soul Train. 

The event was produced by JWP (Josh Wood Productions) and featured decor by Colin Cowie. 

“What’s more fun than Motown?” quipped Gregory Boroff, City Harvest’s chief external relations officer, about the gala’s theme. “Because we are fortunate to partner with On the Move Entertainment, we always like our themes to celebrate music and entertainment, because On the Move really brings that to life with their performances.” 

Because Motown spans many decades, Boroff explained that Cowie decided to focus on the ’70s when it came to the color palette and feel of the decor, which included the shades of burnt orange, yellow, and deep red that dominated the time period.

“We found retro prints and silk-screened them on cotton to make the tablecloths,” Cowie explained. “A mix of high-low centerpieces were used with pincushion proteas and Craspedia in styled vases. The room was anchored with tall mustard and gold ostrich feathers. The focal point of the room was the stage, created by large vinyl records and a three-dimensional proscenium.”

Of course, with the music-inspired theme, the entertainment took center stage—literally. “This year, we went bigger than ever with the performances—there were more than 40 performers onstage and we had intricate, theatrical dance numbers,” Boroff said. “We did a lot more with lighting than we’ve done in the past because it was such a choreographed stage show.” 

One of the highlights of the live auction was a private dinner by Eric Ripert, who is the vice chair of City Harvest’s board, with a special performance by John Legend. Plus, the three Top Chef judges—Gail Simmons, Tom Colicchio, and Kristen Kish—offered to prepare a private dinner together for the first time ever. The evening raised more than $5.2 million, which is enough to provide more than 10 million meals to New Yorkers in need.

Keep scrolling to see more from the 2024 City Harvest Gala... 

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