On Saturday, December 20, 2025, the Preservation Society of Newport County will host one of its most anticipated and exclusive events of the year inside The Breakers. The Holiday Dinner Dance, a black tie gala limited to adults ages 21 and over, is officially sold out.For those who have always wondered what happens inside the mansion during this invitation only winter event, the evening offers a rare combination of formal dining, historic spaces, and holiday décor experienced after regular visiting hours.
Inside the Evening at The Breakers
The Holiday Dinner Dance begins with passed hors doeuvres and cocktails inside The Breakers, allowing guests to mingle through the mansion while it is fully decorated for the season. Nearly 30 Christmas trees, fresh poinsettias, and seasonal floral arrangements fill the rooms.The focal point of the décor is the living poinsettia tree in the Great Hall. Rising 15 feet tall and constructed from 150 individual poinsettia plants, it becomes the backdrop for photographs as guests experience the mansion with a limited number of visitors rather than daytime crowds.
Dinner in the Great Hall and State Dining Room
Following the cocktail reception, guests are seated for a 4 course dinner served in 2 of the mansion’s most iconic spaces, the Great Hall and the State Dining Room.The Great Hall, designed by architect Richard Morris Hunt, features soaring ceilings, carved Caen limestone imported from France, and a painted ceiling depicting an open sky. The adjacent State Dining Room, richly detailed with gilt ornamentation, was designed for the Vanderbilt family’s most formal entertaining.Tables seat 10 guests, and partial parties are seated together to complete each table.
Dancing in the Music Room
After dinner, the evening continues in the Music Room, where guests enjoy dancing late into the night. This transition from formal dining to music and dancing mirrors the way large scale entertaining once unfolded during Newport’s Gilded Age.Experiencing these rooms at night, dressed in black tie attire, offers a perspective on The Breakers that is not available during standard mansion visits.
Tickets, Dress Code, and Purpose
The Holiday Dinner Dance is limited to adults ages 21 and over and requires formal black tie attire, including tuxedos and formal gowns.For 2025, tickets were priced at $650 for Preservation Society members and $750 for non members. Proceeds support the Preservation Society of Newport County and its mission to protect, preserve, and present Newport’s historic properties.
A Tradition of Elegant Fundraising
The Holiday Dinner Dance continues a long tradition of formal entertaining connected to Newport’s historic estates. One of the most famous examples is the Tiffany Ball held at Marble House in July 1957, sponsored by Tiffany and Company to benefit the Preservation Society.That event welcomed prominent guests, including then Senator John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy. Today’s Holiday Dinner Dance carries that legacy forward, pairing historic settings with modern preservation efforts.
Planning a winter visit to Newport? Staying downtown makes it easy to attend evening events, visit The Breakers, and explore other decorated mansions without driving. Check hotel availability here.
