Special Events

Costs for the following special events are included in the registration fee.

Ashton Villa Shrimp Boil and Social - Tues. June 10

The first of Galveston's great Broadway mansions, 1859 Ashton Villa set the standard for the magnificent homes that followed. Lovely antiques, family heirlooms and original art fill the stately mansion built before the Civil War by James Moreau Brown, one of Texas' wealthiest businessmen, and presided over by his colorful daughter, Miss Bettie Brown. A shrimp boil dinner will be served in the Ashton Villa's elegant ballroom on Tues. evening June 10.

Attire: Casual

Menu: Boiled Gulf shrimp w/ cocktail sauce and lemons, new potatoes, corn on the cob, Garden Salad w/ assorted dressings, French bread and butter, peach cobbler, iced tea w/ lemons, water and coffee.  Keg beer including Shiner Bock, a distinctive, rich, full-flavored, deep amber-colored beer brewed deep in the heart of Texas.

Conference Banquet at Gaido's Pelican Club - Thurs. June 12

Gaido's: A tradition of excellence for over 92 years. Back in 1911 when our great-grandfather, S.J. Gaido, first opened his restaurant, visitors often arrived by boat or on the old interurban line. Our family's commitment was to make the trip worthwhile with the best in service and the finest in seafood.  Today, the trip to Galveston is much easier, but the service and cuisine of Gaido's restaurant remains the same. All of our seafood is meticulously inspected and prepared by hand. We still peel shrimp, shuck oysters, and filet fish the old fashioned way as we have for the last ninety years, and we are not about to change. All of our sauces, salad dressings, and desserts are homemade from Gaido's family recipes, using only the finest of fresh ingredients. 

The Pelican Club is a hangover from the Prohibition days when Texas used to have many dry counties in the 1950's - Galveston included. Originally opening in 1951 as the Tradewinds Lounge and owned by the Gaido family, it was one of a few shops that operated as "speakeasies". Today, the Pelican Club creates a special, private atmosphere for dining and entertaining.

Attire: Jacket required, no shorts or jeans

Menu: Gaido’s Famous Buffet with Deep fried Gulf shrimp, Iced Gulf shrimp, Fish fingers, Grilled fish, Stuffed Gulf shrimp, Char-grilled Gulf shrimp, Pan sautéed fish, Fried deep sea scallops, Shrimp salad, Blue crab cakes, Shrimp puffs, Chicken amandine, Shrimp brochette, Iced crab claws, Seafood stuffing balls, Deep fried blue crab claws, Petite stuffed flounder, Cornmeal fried shrimp, Seafood stuffed mushrooms, Shrimp deviled eggs, Fresh fruits, vegetables & cheeses. Cash bar.