Florist Jody Lippert chose wisely when she selected bird of paradise flowers to build a flora replica of a nearby pair of taxadermied king penguins.

The floral-penguin-featuring event is part of the Springfield Museums’ wildly popular bi-monthly Culture and Cocktails series, which has been drawing larger crowds recently. This month, it’s timed to coincide with the opening of the annual Festival of Flowers exhibit. I tour the cavernous halls of the Springfield Museums, admiring the 50 extravagant floral arrangements, each a painstakingly assembled interpretation of a great work of art, historical artifact, or even a scene from the natural world.

Hundreds of voices echo through the grand lobby of the Michele and Donald D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts; a dull roar punctuated by laughter and the clicking of dress shoes on the slick marble floor. A subtle, sweetness lingers in the air as I nudge my way through the crowd full of people dressed to the nines. Servers in formal black and white distribute hors d’oeuvres, neatly skewered with toothpicks, on garnished trays. The crowd “ohs” and “ahs” as it parts for the stars of the masquerade ball: the Phantom of the Opera, and his Christine in a striking white floor-length gown, both in masks adorned with snow white blossoms. Next is a young girl in gentle spring pastels, covered head to toe in pink and purple flowers. Men and women of all ages twirl and pose in the promenade.

— Peter Vancini, pvancini@valleyadvocate.com