1) Is wearing a costume mandatory?
Answer: No! This is completely optional and a personal preference,
but please realize that this is a Charity Ball and the majority of
the attendees WILL be dressed in costume. Feel welcome to wear a costume,
party clothes or jeans….whatever would make you comfortable.
2) Do I have to be Pagan or Wiccan to attend the Witches'
Ball?
Answer: No! The entire event is open to the public. Some folks
come just because it's the best Halloween party in town! If you
would be comfortable and open minded with an eclectic mix of friendly
adults of all ages and genders, some of whom do practice nontraditional
religions or beliefs, then you're welcome to join us. Our Charity
Ball is open to ALL religions, race or culture.
3) Is the Witches' Ball suitable for children?
Answer: No. Most events we hold are designed around the entire
family. In some Pagan communities the Annual Witches Ball is considered
a family event and many bring the whole family, but for our Annual
Houston Witches Ball it is for adults only.
4) What if I just want to come to the midnight ritual?
Answer: That is fine. Arrive after 11:30PM and there will be
no admittance charge. (Also it will be easier to find parking.)
We will not be allowing folks into the ballroom or main floor hallway
for a half hour before the ritual begins. You may visit the merchant
and vendor areas, or you may wait in the front door foyer until
the Ritual begins, but Security will stop you from entering into
the main floor.
At midnight those waiting in the foyer will be summoned for the
processional into the ritual hall. Anyone waiting elsewhere in the
building for ritual to start will need to keep track of the time
and come to the foyer at midnight. After all worshippers have entered
the ritual hall, all exterior doors of the building will be locked
and there will be no further admittance to the facility. All doors
to the ritual hall will also be locked, and no one will be admitted
late to the ritual.
People not attending the ritual will not be allowed to wait unsupervised
in the building. Either wait in your car, make arrangements to meet
somewhere close by, or volunteer to be part of the supervised cleanup
crew.
5) Is there an expected standard of behavior at the Witches'
Ball?
Answer: Unfortunately, yes. The vast majority of The Houston
Witches' Ball participants consider this a spiritual community event
and have a great deal of fun in a responsible, loving and positive
way, but a few immature souls sometimes act less honorably. Therefore,
see the Expected Standard of behavior below.
6) Is there alcohol for sale?
Answer: Yes and No. This is determined each year by what venue
the Ball will be held at, each have their own set of rules we must
follow, but we will ALWAYS choose a place that will at least let
us B.Y.O.B.
7) Can I take photographs at the Witches' Ball?
Answer: Of course you can! But please ask permission first,
and respect those who decline. Some Pagans or Wiccans are not "out
of the broom closet" and prefer their anonymity, and some just do
NOT like their photos taken at all!
8) What about parking?
Answer: As always, we encourage folks to carpool to the Witches'
Ball, as some times there is limited parking in the parking lot.
We caution folks to leave valuables at home, or lock them in the
trunk, out of sight. Remove radios, DVD players, cell phones, etc.
And do not say, "I'd sure like to be rid of this vehicle" before
entering the Ball (i.e do not tempt the Gods or the neighborhood
delinquents).
We will have Security patrol the parking lot, as always, but we
cannot be everywhere at once. So please help each other out by reporting
any suspicious activity to the Security people on duty.
9) Is the Witches' Ball wheelchair accessible?
Answer: Yes most of the time. There are usually wheelchair parking
spaces at most venues we use, and we always try to make sure there
is at least one parking area reserved for handicapped parking. If
no such parking areas are found, please send word to the front door
or Security that you need help entering the building.
Wheelchair accessible restrooms are determined by the venue we are
renting each year, so be sure to look for handicap signs or call
ahead and ask to make certain.
10) What about ticket sales?
Answer: Advance ticket sales are available online as well as
at the Elemental Magick Shop located in Webster, TX. All Tickets
purchased at door will be CASH only. We will not be set up to take
credit cards or make sure checks clear.
Tickets will be available for purchase online, here at this website,
by credit card or bank transfer September 15th through the day of
the event
Tickets are transferable - if you can't make it to the Witches'
Ball, just give or sell your ticket to someone else.
***TICKETS ARE NON REFUNDABLE!
11) Do I have to purchase my tickets in advance?
Answer: No. you may purchase your tickets at the door. We might
change that at some time in the future, but not this year. For those
who've already bought their tickets, it just speeds up your entrance
to go to the shorter line for those who've already paid.
12) Do I have to be part of a couple to buy the couple ticket?
Answer: No. There will be tickets available for both Single
and Couple admittance.
13) What if I need help, have a question, have lost an item,
need a first aid kit, etc?
Answer: Go to the Information Table and the person there will
summon someone to help you. That's also where the first aid kit
and lost-and-found will be. Out on the floor, roving Security staff
will be in uniform and Security volunteers will be wearing armbands
or T-Shirts that say "Security".
14) Can I smoke cigarettes at the Witches' Ball?
Answer: Yes and No. This will always depend on the venue we
have secured at the time. If this is a huge concern, you may call
ahead after we've secured the building and finished the contract.
15) Can I go out and come back in again?
Answer: Yes. You will get your hand stamped when you first go
through the entrance door and that will let you in and out again
all evening. You may exit and enter ONLY from the main entrance
door. Please flash your hand stamp at the registration volunteers
when you come back in.
16) What if I'd like to be a vendor or reader at the Witches'
Ball?
Answer: Call or e-mail us and we will mail or e-mail you out
a vendor packet after asking you a couple questions. The vendor
packets get sent out around the end of August or the beginning of
September. There are waiting lists for jewelers, psychic readers,
etc and we may have limited room. We may also have to limit vendors
in certain categories if we are getting too many folks selling the
same kind of goods. It's always best to call or email us to make
sure.
If you are a new reader or vendor that we are not familiar with,
we may screen the readers and vendors before they can work the Witches'
Ball. You need to be able to show us that you are accurate, insightful,
articulate and ethical. After all, we ARE working under the Temple
banner.
The merchants' Magickal Marketplace tends to fill up fast for the
Witches' Ball, so get those vendor applications back to us early.
17) What about volunteering at the Witches' Ball?
Answer: We could not produce the Witches' Ball without volunteer
staff. It takes many volunteers in different areas with some that
are involved in the midnight ritual to make everything run smoothly.
Some volunteer jobs must be done before the Ball, some during, and
some after (such as late-night hauling and cleanup). The majority
are short volunteer jobs that last for 2 1/2 hours. Some angelic
spirits volunteer for longer stints. A few work for us all night.
If you wish to volunteer we will need to meet and talk with you
to determine if you are a responsible person and attempt to match
you with a job you would enjoy. If you volunteer it is your responsibility
to have someone to back you up if you can't make it at the last
minute. No-shows are one of the main things that stress everyone
out each year!
There are no paid positions to anyone. If you are a licensed Security
professional I may be able to hire you if the venue requests one
be on duty the entire night.
18) Can I volunteer for the Witches' Ball if I'm a teenager?
Answer: Probably not. And you may not want to; being that this
event is for adults only. If you are aware of this and still want
to volunteer, and if you can provide us with references (besides
your parents/guardian) who can vouch for you, we would be willing
to decide that on a one-by-one basis.
We must have volunteers who are self-directed, who can get the job
done without a lot of supervision because we are distracted by multiple
problem-solving needs all night. There are several major activity
areas going on simultaneously all night long.
