Hulaween | October 25, 2025
Our Hulaween Gala Was a Helluva Success!
NYRP founder Bette Midler accepts the Catalyst Award presented by Billy Crystal On Friday, October 24, 2025 New York Restoration Project celebrated our 30th Anniversary at Hulaween: New York, New York, a Helluva Town!
This year’s gala honored award-winning singer, entertainer, actress, activist, and NYRP founder Bette Midler with the Catalyst Award for her 30 years of visionary leadership and environmental stewardship. Actor and comedian Billy Crystal and composer and lyricist Marc Shaiman introduced the award with a comedic musical performance. Emmy Award-winning TV host, producer, and author Andy Cohen was recognized with the Joan Kors Green Champion Award, while STUDIOS Architecture received the Lifetime Achievement Award for Costume Design presented by fashion designer Michael Kors in recognition of its years of creative excellence and support of the organization’s mission.
The evening’s entertainment, “A Helluva Performance: A Musical Tribute to 30 Years of NYRP,” was led by Grammy Award-winning bassist and vocalist Will Lee, featuring show-stopping performances by Tony, Grammy, and Emmy Award-winning actor, singer, and songwriter Ben Platt; Broadway and West End star and acclaimed recording artist Marisha Wallace; comedian, actress, singer, and cultural icon Sandra Bernhard; Grammy Award winner and two-time Tony nominee Shoshana Bean; and Grammy award-winning American singer, songwriter, and guitarist Christopher Cross. Actress, author, and television host Busy Philipps hosted the evening. Performance artist, seven-time Tony Award–winning theater producer, and fashion icon Jordan Roth also returned to serve as a judge for Hulaween’s annual Costume Contest.
Winners of the much buzzed about costume contest included:
- Best Individual Winner: Casey Thomas Brown, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
- Best Individual Runner-up: Lori Cannava, AC Unit
- Group Winner: Jonathan Collard and Friends, “Nice to MET You” Met Gala theme
- Group Runner-up: Peter Rothstein/Asolo Repertory Theatre, Subway Stops
Following the live performances, guests danced late into the night to sets by Brooklyn entertainment collective House of Yes, burlesque performer Jake Dupree, and DJ Boyyyish.
“Last night we celebrated 30 fantastic years of New York Restoration Project’s extraordinary work, cleaning and greening parks, gardens and public spaces in all five boroughs of this great city. Building gardens, educating kids, and showing up in the most creative costumes to the best Halloween party in the world,” said Bette Midler, founder of New York Restoration Project. “I could not be prouder of everyone who has showed up for us for the last 30 glorious years for Mother Nature and all New Yorkers!”
“This year’s Hulaween was an incredible reminder of the impact of NYRP over the past three decades and how much more we can still do to support green spaces across the city,” added Lynn Bodnar Kelly, Executive Director of New York Restoration Project. “Thanks to the generosity of our supporters and partners, we’re bringing cleaner air, greener parks, and stronger communities to every corner of New York City. It’s a tribute to Bette’s enduring vision and to everyone who believes that access to green space is a right, not a privilege.”