Flower children and hippies turned out en mass Saturday, August 26 for the ninth annual Gecko Ball fundraiser at the Gulfport Casino, which was decked out in a psychedelic riot of peace signs, tie dye and posters of 1960s bands.
The theme of this year’s ball was Geckostock, named after the 1969 Woodstock Music and Arts Fair that became a symbol of the era’s countercultural revolution and anti-war movement. Ball participants enjoyed food, drink, music and a silent auction, and shook their booties on the dance floor to period tunes belted out by the Thowback Band.
The annual ball is one of several gecko-themed events held by the non-profit Gulfport Merchants Association, which donates part of the proceeds to local charities. Recipients this year will be Creative Play Preschool and the Sonia Plotnick Health Fund.
