Tell me about masquerade balls in central New England.

September 4, 2013 10:38 AM

It has been too long since I went to a costume party, but I am not really into the Halloween bar scene. I am looking for: a crowd wearing nice costumes in an interesting venue; something that's kind of special. I am not looking for: "I'll wear a bathrobe and say I'm a Jedi, let's go drinking!" crowds. More Venetian carnival, less "this fuzzy pimp hat was all that was left at iParty."

I'm in northern Worcester County, Massachusetts, but realize any such events are more likely to be in or around Boston. The most promising looking thing I've found so far is an annual Halloween fundraiser put on by the Ipswich, Massachusetts Rotary but I would love to know about others, especially if you've actually attended them. Halloween, Carnival, whenever!

posted by usonian to Society & Culture (4 answers total)

Just wandering around Salem MA on Halloween, you'll see a lot of amazing & inventive costumes. (As well as plenty of drunken pimp hats.) It seems to be the de facto Halloween central around Eastern MA.
posted by jeffjon at 10:41 AM on September 4, 2013

There are special costume parties in Salem, too. There an admission price and prizes. The hotels are sold out for months and months before. I tried in January with no luck. Coming out of Salem on those nights can take hours sitting in traffic.

You could also check Newport, RI. I've been to an event at Belcourt like this.
posted by beccaj at 4:28 PM on September 5, 2013

Are you interested in the "ball" part of it? The Commonwealth Vintage Dancers put on a number of different dance events with various costume themes, usually of specific eras, across New England. They focus pretty strongly on the dance parts, but many people are also very particular about their costumes.
posted by nonane at 7:06 AM on September 6, 2013

(Mrs usonian just clued me in to the Worcester Center for Crafts' Carnival party, which is happening on February 1, 2014!)
posted by usonian at 2:25 PM on January 14, 2014