Staff photo by Clay Schuldt Turner Hall was bedecked with pearls and diamonds for the gala fundraiser Saturday.

NEW ULM — It was a night of fine dining and fancy dress at the Turner Hall Gala Saturday.

The theme of the evening was diamonds and pearls. Guests attended with their shiniest outfits and accessories to support the 163-year New Ulm institution.

This was the ninth gala event hosted at Turner Hall. The gala is usually the largest fundraiser for the year.

Turner Hall Executive Director Andrea Boettger said the fundraiser will help support the ongoing needs of the building which is beginning to see its age. Specifically, the funds will help cover the cost of fixing utilities like plumbing and lighting.

Boettger said the pipes in the Ratskeller require replacements. Many of the pipes are extremely old and some no longer function, but were also never removed.

Additional funding would go to energy-efficient lighting. Boettger said the light fixtures in Turner Hall looked great but needed to be energy efficient to bring monthly utility costs down.

The gala was also a way to celebrate Turner Hall’s place in New Ulm.

“We’re here to celebrate and support Tuner Hall as a community,” Boettger said. “Turner Hall has worked its way into many hearts.”

This includes the Turner Hall members, the tourists visiting to see the murals in the Ratskeller or those renting space in the facility for events or meetings.

Turner Hall has offered meeting space in the building for groups rent-free. The hope is they can continue to keep rental costs down while making necessary improvements.

Boettger said the people who support Turner Hall are what keeps its heart beating.”