On Monday, the Empire State Building Will Glow Orange and Yellow for JBF

All those flashing camera bulbs on the red carpet won’t be the only things lighting up for this year’s Beard Awards.

On Monday, the day of the Awards gala, the iconic Empire State Building will beam orange and yellow, two colors that have special meaning for JBF. The walls of the Beard House were painted orange when James Beard resided there ("It's like living in a bowl of tomato soup," he would say), while yellow represents the pineapple, a symbol of hospitality and a motif in the Beard House décor during the Foundation’s early years. A framed piece of the old pineapple wallpaper now hangs in the Beard House vestibule, welcoming all guests.

Alton Brown, who is hosting Monday’s festivities at Lincoln Center, will flip the ceremonial switch for our Empire State Building illumination. If you’re in New York City on Monday evening, be sure to look up!