Not one of PEERS' Gothic events but attended by some of the Goth community and a great opportunity to dress up and dance:

A VICTORIAN TWELFTH NIGHT BALL
The Dickens Fair Reunion Ball
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Masonic Lodge of San Mateo Ballroom
100 N. Ellsworth Avenue, San Mateo, CA 94401
Doors Open: 6:45 pm
Dance Lesson: 7:00 pm
Formal Dancing Begins: 8:00 pm
Tickets: $15.00 in advance (by December 29)
Tickets at the door: $20.00
Band: Bangers & Mash
PEERS’ Website: www.peers.org
Ball Website: www.peers.org/12th09.html


Dance, sing, feast and game at the season’s loveliest old-fashioned holiday party – a 12th Night Ball hosted by Mr. and Mrs. Fezziwig from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Bangers and Mash, the Bay Area’s most irresistible country dance band, will play a variety of Viennese and rotary waltzes, polkas, mazurkas, schottisches, the Lancers, reels, and other set dances popular in the early and mid-19th century (As usual, all set dances will be taught or called and partners are not required. Indeed, Introductions to partners will be cheerfully provided!).

Suggested costume is evening or day dress from 1837 through 1870 (the heyday of Dickens’ literary career), any class. Modern evening dress is, as always, a completely acceptable substitute for period costume, and there is no dress code for the evening. Ladies, if you’re wearing a ball gown or evening gown, please be sure to bring a wrap since the ballroom will be cold before the dancing starts. Once we start dancing, the ballroom warms up beautifully!

Intermission entertainment includes performances by the Peerless Music Hall (including some very French Cancan) and our guest of honour, Mr. Charles Dickens. Gamers may enjoy either an intellectual game of whist or a rollicking game of Wink, and the evening will conclude with a glorious Hallelujah Chorus sing-a-long.

Complimentary Punch and a light Old English snack buffet will be served (As usual, your potluck contributions to Mrs. Fezziwig’s kitchen are very welcome).

To order advance tickets to the ball, send a check for $15.00 each to PEERS at 2144 B Buena Vista Avenue, Alameda, CA 94501. To order tickets online via PayPal, please go to the ball website at www.peers.org/12th09.html and click on the PayPal icon for directions. The deadline for purchasing advance tickets is Saturday, December 29.

If you have any questions or need more information, please email peers@peers.org or call (510) 522-1731.