Fencing's Biggest Night Is Back — and It's Celebrating the Heartbeat of American Fencing

There's a reason the U.S. Fencing Foundation Fête has become the must-attend event on the American fencing calendar.

Now in its fourth year, the Fête has grown into something rare in American sports: a gala that feels like a genuine celebration rather than a fundraising obligation. On Thursday, May 28, more than 200 community members will gather at the New York Athletic Club — Olympians and Paralympians, coaches and alumni, executives and die-hard fans — for a night the fencing world simply doesn't want to miss.

This year's theme, Celebrating America's Collegiate Fencing, arrives at a defining moment for the sport. Collegiate fencing programs have long served as the foundation of America's international success. Without the coaches who built powerhouse programs, the athletic departments that invested in the sport, and the student-athletes who competed on those strips, the Team USA legacy that fills this room (and shows up on medal podiums around the world) would look very different.

And 2026 makes the case more clearly than ever. This spring, the NCAA hosts its inaugural Women's Fencing Championship — a milestone that validates decades of effort, advocacy, and athletic excellence at the collegiate level. The Fête is, fittingly, exactly the right place to mark that moment.

Leading the evening as emcee is Sydney Persing, an Emmy Award-winning journalist and former two-time captain of the University of North Carolina women's fencing team — someone who has lived the collegiate experience and gone on to build a distinguished career that still carries the sport's values. Champagne Billecart-Salmon and En Garde Winery will provide the pours. A live auction, silent auction, and special awards ceremony round out the program.

Sponsorship opportunities start at $5,000, with Gold Table packages offering the unique option to direct 30% of a sponsorship to a collegiate program of the sponsor's choosing. Individual tickets are also available.

Cocktails begin at 6:30 p.m. Dinner and the full celebration follow at 8 p.m. Business/cocktail attire. A hotel room block is available at the New York Hilton Midtown through April 26.

Tickets, Tables, Sponsorships

Tickets, tables, and sponsorship information are available. For sponsorship inquiries, contact USA Fencing CEO Phil Andrews at p.andrews@usafencing.org.