GALVESTON — The annual Lunar Rendezvous Fashion Show celebrated its 61st anniversary Tuesday morning at the San Luis Resort and Convention Center on the Seawall.

Guests were greeted with handmade photo opportunities, raffle and silent auction items, and the event’s signature fashion show. Each year, the event features a unique theme that ties together the décor and runway presentation.

“This year’s theme is Summer Market, so kind of think being in an outdoor market, let’s say somewhere in France, where you have fruits and vegetables, fresh flowers and lots of shopping — bright, colorful, vivid, with lots of patterns,” Development Director Kim Woods said.

The show was produced by professional showrunner Lenny Matuszewski, marking his 37th year producing the Lunar Rendezvous Fashion Show.

“Lenny is our fashion show producer, and he has been producing this show for well over 30 years,” Woods said. “He has a magic recipe that just draws everybody into the actual fashion show itself.”

The event centers on the royal court.

“The princesses are rising seniors, so they are juniors when they are selected and are becoming seniors the summer before their senior year,” said former queen mother Jill Smitherman.

Smitherman said one of her favorite parts of the show is watching the court members take the runway alongside their mothers.

“Seeing the court members walk down with their moms — the boys and the girls, the lieutenants and the princesses — is really special,” Smitherman said. “The fashion show is awesome because it features professional models, but seeing the court members and their moms, how they’ve coordinated their outfits and what they do on the runway, is really special.”

While the titles and fashion show are glamorous, the process of becoming a princess or lieutenant involves much more than appearances.

“It’s girls and guys from local high schools,” advisory board member Michelle Holland said. “They apply, then they are selected, and they get to be a part of it. It’s really neat because people think they just walk around and do fancy things, but these kids — as you saw from the boards when we walked in — complete community projects to give back.”

Outside the ballroom, display boards showcased the students’ community service projects. The astronaut-themed displays reflected the area’s connection to NASA while highlighting each participant’s fundraising efforts.

The royal court also includes Little Ladies-in-Waiting, giving younger participants an introduction to the program.

“The Little Ladies-in-Waiting get to learn what it means to be a court member and give back to the community in a small way, as young as they are,” Smitherman said. “They have social events where they learn how to meet people from other schools, and they complete a service project. It gets them ready to maybe one day be a part of the big event.”

Funds raised through the fashion show are returned to the community.

“The money that we raise goes to local nonprofit organizations, and it also goes to needs-based college scholarships,” Holland said. “It’s something that’s awesome because it brings the community together.”

“It’s awesome to see all the people here supporting the event by buying raffle tickets, purchasing silent auction items and attending the fashion show,” said former princess, queen alternate and current advisory board member Elizabeth Olin. “Being able to raise that money to give back to the students is really what it’s all about.”

Many of the organization’s board members have remained involved for years, helping the event continue to grow.

“We really appreciate those who keep coming back year after year,” Woods said. “Even though we have new courts each year and many of those parents are new to us, it’s nice to have people who have supported us for multiple years continue coming back to our event.”

The Lunar activities continue Saturday with the Lunar Ball occurring at 5 pm.