HughE Dillon: Kentucky Derby Party at Paramour

Guests (in hats, of course) celebrated the race at the Wayne Hotel restaurant.

The 138th Kentucky Derby was held on Saturday, and Paramour at the Wayne Hotel held its first Kentucky Derby Party. Guests wearing great hats and their Kentucky Derby finest sipped on mint juleps and ate delicious hors d'oeuvres prepared by Chef Michael Giampa. Prizes were given for the best hat in the male and female categories. Here, Paramour proprietors Steve and Kathy Bajus (left) with guests Susan and Rob Gretz.

HughE Dillon One-Shot: Terrence Howard Films in Philly

Details from the movie set of Dead Man Down.

Terrence Howard found himself in a sea of fans as he tried to take a photo with each of them in between shooting scenes on the set of the mob thriller Dead Man Down co-starring Colin Farrell. The movie is set in NYC so street signs had all been changed to reflect Irving Place in Manhattan. SPOILER ALERT! The movie is about a father (played by Colin Farrell) who's a mobster grieving after losing his wife and child. He takes revenge on the people he holds responsible for their deaths, including a mob boss played by Terrence Howard. Yesterday's...

HughE Dillon: Philadelphia Theatre Company Gala

Suzanne Roberts, Sam Katz, Pat Ciarrocchi, Gary Steuer and more celebrated the annual event.

Last night, Brian Stokes Mitchell headlined Philadelphia Theatre Company’s annual gala at the Hyatt at the Bellevue. Singing "Some Enchanted Evening," Stokes wasn't far off, if he was describing the gala, which kicked off with a silent auction and cocktail party for the first part of the evening. After an hour, the party moved into the grand ballroom for dinner, where they honored Bala Cynwyd residents Marilyn and J. Robert Birnhak for their many years of support to both Philadelphia Theatre Company (PTC) and its home, the Suzanne Roberts Theatre.

HughE Dillon One-Shot: The Phillies Go Bowling

Carlos Ruiz, Cliff Lee, Shane Victorino, Hunter Pence and more hit the lanes for Philadelphia Futures.

Scott Palmer interviews Phils catcher Carlos Ruiz, who hosted last night's Get in the Game Bowling & Billiards Tournament at North Bowl. Many Phillies turned out to support the event—even after their disappointing game against Chicago—including Cliff Lee, Hunter Pence, Shane Victorino, Jose Contreras and Laynce Nix. The event was chaired by Daniel Fitzpatrick, president and CEO of Citizens Bank, David Montgomery, president and CEO of the Phillies, and Arn Tellem, principal of Wasserman Media Group. The truly collaborative effort raised more than $100,000 to support Philadelphia Futures' Sponsor-A-Scholar Program. Philadelphia Futures prepares low-income, first-generation-to-college students for higher education opportunities...

HughE Dillon: Fairmount Park Conservancy Celebration

Ryan Howard and Joseph Manko Sr. were honored at event.

Thursday night, the Fairmount Park Conservancy held its 2012 Centennial Celebration, bringing guests together at the Horticulture Center. The event featured a cocktail reception, silent auction and awards program, and co-chairs were Daniel K. Fitzpatrick, president and CEO of Citizens Bank, and Constance H. Williams, Philadelphia Museum of Art chair. (Honorary co-chairs were Mayor Nutter and Lisa Nutter.) The evening honored the Vanguard Crew for corporate stewardship (they put in more than 80,000 hours sprucing up the park); Joseph Manko Sr., for civic leadership, and park champion Ryan Howard. Scott Palmer, the Phillies' director of public affairs (left), emceed the event. Also pictured: Kathryn Ott Lovell (second from left), executive director of the Conservancy, Ruben Amaro Jr. (center), Jami Schnell (second from right), and John Nickolas (right).

HughE Dillon One-Shot: Prince Edward Plants a Tree in Philly

His Royal Highness was at Girard College marking the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

His Royal Highness Prince Edward, youngest son of Queen Elizabeth II, is visiting Philadelphia today and tomorrow to honor Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee year and to support the Duke of Edinburgh’s award program in the city. The Prince is chairman of the International Council of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award International Association, a youth development program that operates in 132 countries. The program was launched in Philadelphia in 2009 at Girard College, and then in several other schools in the area, including the Science Leadership Academy and Valley Forge Military Academy. Students joined the Prince at a luncheon at Girard  along with the members...

HughE Dillon One-Shot: Dionne Warwick at Annenberg Center

The Grammy winner performed a charity concert.

International music legend and five-time Grammy-winning vocalist Dionne Warwick performed in a charity concert last night for St. Ignatius Nursing Home (which cares for the underserved and poor) in Philadelphia, at Annenberg Center. Singing some of her biggest hits, including "Walk On By," "Anyone Who Had A Heart," "Alfi," and "What the World Needs Now," Dionne captured the audience from the moment she stepped on stage. A lover of Brazil, Dionne sang the title song from one of her CDs, "Aquarela do Brasil," and said if you're not toe-tapping or moving during this song, then you must be dead. At...

HughE Dillon: Please Touch Museum’s Storybook Ball

Princesses, pirates, fairies and more played all night.

Saturday night at the Please Touch Museum, everyone got to live out their childhood fantasies, and guests turned into pirates, princesses, fairies and even pigs at the annual Storybook Ball. Children and their grown-ups were encouraged to dress as their favorite storybook characters for an evening that included turns on the carousel, horse-drawn carriage rides, and family-friendly cuisine like chicken fingers. Can we bottle up adorableness? These three princesses, cousins and BFFs Elayna Fanelli, Skylar Ross and Mia Jackson, had a lot of fun organizing the Snow White clothesline in the sandbox play area. Love the heart tattoos!

HughE Dillon One-Shot: Hilton Breaks Ground in Center City

The new Home2 Suites will be at 12th and Arch streets.

Last week, I attended the groundbreaking ceremony for a new hotel that will be across the street from the Pennsylvania Convention Center at 12th and Arch streets. Home2 Suites by Hilton will have 246 guest rooms, more than 2,000 square feet of meeting space, and 9,750 square feet for ground-floor retail and restaurants. The property is being developed jointly by the Parkway Corporation and Wurzak Hotel Group. Pictured: Parkway Corporation Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Joseph Zuritsky, Renee Zuritsky, Joanne Wurzak and Howard J. Wurzak, founder of the Wurzak Hotel Group. Look for a summer 2013 opening.