Given on the Green, an evening of food, fun and friends, will be held this year at the Carolina Hotel, in Pinehurst.

"We weren't sure what the status of the Village Green would be when we were making plans," says Audrey Moriarty. "So we decided to hold the event at the hotel this year."

The Grand Ballroom will be transformed into a representation of the Pinehurst Village Green. Guests will enjoy a "progressive-style" evening with hors d'oeuvre , a tapas dinner and spirits.

Designed after the "Tavern on the Green" event in New York City's Central Park, Given on the Green is in its third year. Frederick Law Olmsted designed both Central Park and the Pinehurst Village Green.

The gala, which will be held Saturday, May 5, at 7 p.m., includes fine food, spirits, entertainment, a silent auction and raffles.

Food will be provided by Elliott's on Linden, the Pine Crest Inn, White Rabbit, Red Door, Dugan's and others.

There are more than 50 silent auction items donated by local businesses and restaurants. A live auction will include trips to the Homestead Resort, in Hot Springs, Va.; a Myrtle Beach golf package; and a NASCAR experience in Charlotte.

Tickets are $75 per person and can be purchased at the library in Pinehurst or the Given Book Shop in Olmsted Village.

Funds raised benefit Given Memorial Library and Tufts Archives, which receive no government funding for their operations.

The Given Memorial Library is free to area residents and offers a collection of more than 14,000 books for children and adults.

Located within the library, the Tufts Archives preserves and displays the unique history of Pinehurst and is the repository for golf course designer Donald Ross' original plans, field notes and layouts. The archives also features more than 80,000 negatives from John Hemmer, who was the official resort photographer in the early 1900s.

The archives is open to the public, researchers, media and scholars free of charge.