27th Annual Harvest Ball!

[Jeff Dusenberry]

Come join us for the 27^th Annual Gender-Free Autumn Harvest Ball!

 

We are getting ready again for this fabulous once-a-year Grand Event for our dance community!  Tickets are now ready to reserve. This is our community’s re-creation of a fun, playful, queer Victorian-era ball, with a program of lively smooth and elegant classic New England contras, quadrilles, mixers, couple dances from 1790 to about 1920. As with all our dances, all dances will be taught, and everyone is welcome.  Please help spread the word and bring your friends!

DATE, TIME & LOCATION & ADMISSION:

 

Saturday, November 8th, 2025

5:30pm (potluck dinner) – 7:00pm (dancing) - 10:30pm    (details below)

First Church of Jamaica Plain (Unitarian Universalist), corner of Centre and Eliot Streets in Jamaica Plain (Boston), MA.

 

Masks optional (subject to change if current Covid trends change.)

 

Tickets: $25 suggested contribution; $15-25 sliding scale with $5 discount for pre-registration; $30 Angel contribution; $10 Student rate.  No one will be turned away based on ability to pay, and payment in advance is optional but not required.  If you do wish to pay in advance, we have Venmo:  https://venmo.com/bgfcd

 

Please pre-register here: https://forms.gle/x1dpxkkZDWdDxfaG7 or email:  je...@dusenberry.org.  Why pre-register?  Pre-registration…

• Enables the discounted ticket price
• Helps dance organizers with dinner setup by providing estimated attendance
• Lets us know what food (see below) and volunteers (also see below) to anticipate

PLAN OF EVENTS:

 

4:00pm - 5:30pm:  Doors open for table set up, kitchen prep decorating(Volunteers needed to help with this!)

 

5:30pm – 6:45pm:  Candlelit Potluck Dinner – with food from you!

 

6:45pm - 7:00pm:  Dinner breakdown and clearing the hall (volunteers needed!)

 

7:00pm – 7:25pm:  Waltzing

 

7:30pm – 10:30pm: Harvest Ball (with Decadent Potluck Dessert!)

 

If you have been before, we welcome you to join us again for this lovely event. But if you haven't been before, here are some details:

 

VOLUNTEER HELP NEEDED FOR THIS DANCE:

 

Please email Jeff Dusenberry (je...@dusenberry.org) to volunteer.  We will need volunteer help at various times starting 4:00 PM and ending around 11:30 PM for setup (tables, chairs, lighting/decorations, dinner), dinner takedown to prepare for the dance, sitting the door, dessert setup and takedown, and putting everything away at the end of the evening.  The quality of setup and decorations will be completely dependent on the number of folks who are able to help. 

 

THE AMAZING POTLUCK DINNER!

 

We are pleased to announce that we are bringing back the amazing potluck dinner for this year’s event.  And why it’s so good is because it is all wonderful food created by you!   If you are planning to attend the dinner potluck, we request that you bring a dish to share for this meal.  Plan to make enough to share for at least 6 people.  We have some great cooks in our community, so come out and share your favorite dinner recipes with us.  In years past, this has been one of the great highlights of the evening ball.    Please bring a small card/paper that displays the name of your dish and the main ingredients, or plan to fill out a card when you arrive at the dance, to be considerate of those with food allergies, dietary restrictions, etc.

THE TOTALLY DELICIOUS DECADENT DESSERT POTLUCK!

 

Halfway through the ball program, we break to enjoy a decadent array of delicious dessert goodies!  Especially if you are not coming to the potluck dinner, please plan to bring a dish for dessert.   

For food ideas or questions, contact Jeff Dusenberry by email at je...@dusenberry.org  or by text at 617.947.7316 

WALTZING BEFORE THE BALL

 

Be ready to dance at 7:00pm.  You will be greeted by the music of the amazing band for this evening’s event.  It's a relaxed and lovely way to start the evening.  Ask anyone to dance, and join in.  If you are new to waltzing, we have plenty of experienced dancers who can help you.

THE MUSIC AND THE MASTER OF CEREMONIES

 

Music for this evening is absolutely delightful.  We are very honored to again have Spare Parts as our band: Bill Matthiesen on piano, Liz Stell on flute, and Eric Buddington on fiddle. Chris Ricciotti will be your Harvest Ball MC & caller.

SO WHAT DO I WEAR?

 

We get this question each year.  This event is open to everyone, and for this special once a year event, we encourage attendees to wear something festive or colorful, or formal, or if you have it, period attire, but we do not have fashion police on the premises (and if you see someone dressed uniform, it is because it is their chosen attire for the evening!)  We want everyone to have a good time, and we want you to be comfortable.  Dancing will be lively, but elegant, and we'll be providing a more relaxed program as compared to our usual contra dance evenings, so if you decide to gussy up, the style of dances on the program will be comfortable for anyone wearing formal or period attire.  

QUESTIONS? (OR IDEAS ON WHAT TO WEAR):

 

Email Chris Ricciotti at Ricc...@aol.com, or contact him by phone or text at (207) 382-8300. 
We look forward to another wonderful ball this year, and we look forward to seeing you there!   Spread the word, and bring your friends!!