The weather was as perfect outside as the chapeaus were inside when the Women's Association of the Northwest Indiana Symphony Society hosted its annual May Wine Brunch in the Celebrity Ballroom at The Radisson Hotel at Star Plaza in Merrillville.

This year's hat theme was De-Lovely and a highlight was a raffle for two elegant hats with $300 price tags, one designed by Hat Couture Designer Polly Singer of Lexington., Ky., and the other donated by a WANISS member.

The hats worn by guests were judged for this year's contest by my fellow columnist, Philip Potempa of The Times, and Jerry Davich of The Post-Tribune. Handbags were judged by Jill Schrage of Centier Bank and Becky Sacopulos of Ivy Tech College.

The entertainment featured students from the Music Theatre Department of Northwestern University, who sang compositions by Hoosiers Cole Porter and Hoagy Carmichael.

Wonderful music, boutique shopping, great conversation, a scrumptious lunch and many silver trays of sweet, delicious wine with tiny heart-shaped slices of strawberries in each glass set the scene for the elegant fundraiser.

WANISS President Tresa Rademacher did a wonderful job of keeping the program moving smoothly, and the always dapper South Shore Arts and Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra CEO John Cain and Maestro Kirk Muspratt both congratulated the ladies for a successful event and thanked them for their support of the symphony.

Kudos to the committee who worked so hard to make this a wonderful afternoon for all: co-chairs Maggie Reister Walters and Carolyn Ropa, and members Maryanne Battistini, Linda Eisenhauer, Cynthia Myers Fitzsimons, Judy Foster, Sharon Gibson, Jeanette N. Giragos, Marge Kerr, Camille S. Mann, Phyllis McNeill, Heidi Morgan, Melissa Neff, Toni Nissan, Kay Schenck, Jill Vandervort, Jackie Wickland and Rademacher, .

For information about joining WANISS, call (219) 836-0525.

Historic marker

The Indiana Historical Bureau unveiled another of its 500 Indiana historical markers recently along U.S. 20 in Furnessville to honor Pulitzer Prize-winning author, photographer and American naturalist Edwin Way Teale.

More than 60 persons attended the unveiling of the marker at Musette Lewry, built by Teale in the 1930s.

Trent D. Pendley, the current property owner, and Peter Youngman, of Ogden Dunes, representing IHB, welcomed the crowd that included State Sen. Karen Tallian, D-Ogden Dunes; Dale Enquist, past superintendent of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore; Janet Ambrose, chief of interpretation for IDNL; Brad Bumgardner, Indiana Dunes State Park interpreter; Doug Stuckey, assistant property manager at Indiana Dunes State Park; Warren Buckler of the Shirley Heinze Trust; John Davies of the Woodland Group; and Robert Mellin, Barbara Stodola, Shelley and Neal Mulconrey, Joan Gibb Engel, "Sacred Sands" author J. Ronald Engel, Roy J. Krizek, Patrick Krueger, Roy Miller, Karen Lewry Kanaga, Buckett and Mickey E. Pendley, Ron Eaton, Florin Pricop, Ellen Hampton, Donald Payne, Nancy Meyer, Jim McGranahan, Jerry Wiles, Bill Stronks, Amy Wilson-Stronks, Patricia and Steve Fournier.

For more information on events, visit my blog at www.nwi.com/blogs/insight.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer. She can be reached at margaret.kullerstrand.nwi.com or (219) 933-3244.