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Frequently Asked Questions About The Witches Ball
Subject: Attendees
Q. Who can come to The Witches Ball?
A. You do not have to be Pagan to come to the ball. This is a public event and all are welcome.
Last year Pagans and non-Pagans alike came from all over California as well as from Oregon, Washington and Arizona to dance at The Witches Ball.
We are proud to say that Full Circle does inter-faith work and community outreach. As a result, our volunteers and attendees include Pagans, Wiccans, Heathens, Christians, Jews, Buddhists, New Age folks, Secular Humanists, Taoists, Hindus and followers of other faiths, including those who belong to no faith at all.
As an organization, Full Circle stands for tolerance, courtesy, inclusion and acceptance.
Subject: Attendees under age 18
Q. How old to you have to be to go to the Witches Ball?
A. All ages are welcome.
Based on requests made to us by respected Pagan parents in our community, Full Circle has decided to modify our policy
with regard to children at this year's Witches Ball. While we have always welcomed teens to the ball, we have in the
past discouraged parents from bringing younger children to the Ball. However, that policy will now change. Beginning
this year, parents will be able to bring their younger children to the ball if they wish.
Please Note: Children will be the sole responsibility of their caregivers. No babysitting will be provided at the ball.
While The Witches Ball is family friendly, it is not family oriented. Parents who are thinking of bringing their
children to the Ball should keep the following in mind:
- Most of our 600+ attendees will be adults.
- The ball goes from 6 pm to midnight.
- We play loud dance music all night long.
- Some of our adult attendees wear costumes that are sexy and risque. As a rule, costumes will vary from PG up to
R ratings. The idea here is "Naughty, but nice." (X rated costumes are not allowed.)
- Our Vendor Space is filled with fragile, shiny objects.
- We do not have the facilities to offer either a children's room or children's activities at this event.
90% of our events not only welcome children but cater to them. But that is neither possible nor appropriate at
The Witches Ball. That said, we do want parents to know that their children will be welcome and safe at the ball.
Like all Full Circle Events, the Witches Ball is an alcohol and drug free event. As always, our Operations Team
(30+ experienced staff members) will be on hand to keep the event a safe and pleasant experience for all concerned.
It is important that all our attendees enjoy this evening. Therefore, any parent whose offspring cause problems
will be given a friendly warning by our Operations Team. If this warning is not heeded, then they and their children
will be asked to leave the event. No refunds will be given in such a case. Having said that, we should note that we
have never had a problem with any of our parents managing their young ones at any of our other events and we do not
expect that we will have any problems at The Witches Ball.
Tickets for children ages 12 and under will be $20.00. The ticket price for children 12 and under will remain the same all year long. Tickets for those folks ages 13 and over are purchased as adult tickets. The price for adult tickets goes up as the year goes on. By the night of the ball adult tickets will be $40.00 each.
Tickets can be purchased at this website at our
tickets page.
Questions? Concerns? Send us email.
Subject: Cloak Room
Q. Do you have a Cloak Room?
A. Yes, we will have a staffed Cloak Room available where you can leave your evening bag, cloak or coat. PLEASE NOTE: Space in the Cloak Room is limited, so we will only be able to hold your personal items. If you want your purchases held, you will need to make that arrangement with the Vendor(s) in question (please see "Holding Items Purchased At The Ball").
Subject: Dance Music
Q. What sort of music will we dance to?
A. Anything you like. YOU choose the music. If you click on the site button titled MUSIC you will see a general list of the sort of music our Dj will play. You can add your own suggestions by clicking on the email address listed there. Write to Corvid, our Chief Bard, and tell him what you'd like to dance to.
The music selection we offer is always eclectic. We usually play three songs in any one genre and then move on to another sort. So you might be dancing to Celtic music for three songs, then switch to Rock and Roll and then switch again to Techno and then on to Oldies, Hip Hop, R&B, Waltz music or Swing - whatever you want. Our goal is to keep the joint jump'n all night long.
We have a wonderful professional Dj and he has an extensive play list of both Pagan and non-Pagan music that will keep you all moving. Much of the Pagan dance music (12 CDs worth) has been culled and donated by our hard working Bards here at Full Circle.
Subject: Date & Time
Q. When is The Witches Ball?
A. The Witches Ball will take place on Saturday, October 12th. The doors open at 6. Vendors will sell their goods from 6 PM till 11:00. The Concession stand will be open from 6 - 11 pm. The dance itself will go from 7 PM until The Witching Hour.
Subject: Dress
Q. Whatever shall I wear?
A. The Witches Ball is a costume ball and we present a different theme every year. Advice on what to wear can be found by clicking on the button titled COSTUMES.
Subject: Entertainment
Q. Will there be entertainment at the ball?
A. Yes. Our Entertaint Chair is currently auditioning for dancers, performers, characters, magicians and roving players. If you are a performer and you would like to perform at this year's ball, please contact our
Entertainment Chair. Please note: As this is a Charity Event, we can offer little compensation for our performers. The Entertainment Chair will have information on this year's arrangement for compensation.
Subject: Event Description
Q. What exactly is The Witches Ball?
A. The Witches Ball is a Costume Ball, a Charity Event and a Pagan Pride Event all rolled into one. It is held every year in October.
TWB also offers entertainment and shopping. We also present the Gaia's Guardian Award at this event.
Subject: Event Site
Q. Where does the Ball take place?
A. The 2002 Witches ball will take place at the San Jose Civic Auditorium.
url: http://www.sjcc.com/civic_auditorium/index.html
This auditorium is a lovely, Spanish style building that dates from 1932. It has recently been renovated and it looks fantastic. The Civic Auditorium has 5 times the ballroom space of our previous location at 1/3 the price. This means that we can take a bigger hall this year without raising ticket prices.
The Civic Auditorium is located in the heart of downtown San Jose, across the street from the Tech Museum on one side and the Convention Center on the other side. It is within walking distance of many wonderful restaurants, pubs, city parks, shops and hotels. It is conveniently located near the 280 & 17 freeways. Both the downtown buses and the light rail stop directly in front of this building. This area is very safe both day and night. There will be plenty of parking for all.
The auditorium itself has a large interior stage with modern equipment. There is plenty of seating all around dance floor. The dance floor itself can easily accommodate 1,000 people.
It is very important that we keep this event affordable for the majority of our members. At the same time, this is a Charity Event and we needed a site that allows us to raise money for the Humane Society and lets us take in seed money to fund future Witches' Balls. Happily, the SJ Civic Center allows us to meet all of those goals.
If you have any questions about the Civic Center or need further directions to the ball, please call us at 408-224-4625,
or send us email.
Subject: Food & Drinks At the Ball:
Q. Can we buy food and drinks at the ball?
A. Yes, you can. The Civic Center has a concessions stand which will sell food and drinks to our attendees.
The Civic Center controls the food and drink choices, however, our people can request that certain types of items be served that night. If you have a request, please contact us at info@fullcircleevents.org.
PLEASE NOTE: We do not sell or serve alcohol at The Witches Ball.
Some folks have asked if we ever plan to cater the ball and offer food for free. The answer to that is "no" because catering is very expensive. If we catered the ball, the price of tickets would have to be $140.00 each. Those of you who have ever paid for a wedding will know whereof we speak.
Some people have offered to donate homemade goodies for us to offer for sale at the Ball. To them we say a sincere "Thank you". However, we are unable to accept their kind offers because Full Circle is not a professional caterer and does not have a food license. Selling cooked or baked food without a license violates the Health Code and is against state law. It is also against the rules set down by our insurance company. While the Powers That Be don't usually bother about a small bake sale put on by a local group they would be very unhappy if a group like ours tried to sell homemade items on this large a scale to the general public.
Subject: Funding & Costs
Q. What does all this cost and where does the money come from?
A. The Witches Ball will cost approximately $12,000 to put on. Our various Council Members put up the initial amount (about $9,000) needed to rent the space and pay for equipment, decorations, the Dj, insurance, and so forth and then we spend the rest of the year hoping we'll get our money back. None of us are rich and we're not making any money from this (or any other) Full Circle Event.
Our Council Members, Committee Chairs, Artists, Web Builders, Operations Staff and Promotions Staff work hundreds of hours for free in order to make this event happen. We all do this because we feel it's important to give back to the community as a whole.
Our funding comes from ticket sales, the sales of Vendor tables, sales from ad space on our website and from our various Sponsors.
Subject: Gaia's Guardian Award
Q. What is the Gaia's Guardian Award?
A. The Gaia's Guardian Award is an annual award that is presented by Full Circle to a person (or group) who has done work benefiting the earth and her creatures. For more information on the Award, as well as past and present recipients, please click on the AWARD button.
Subject: Holding Items Purchased at the Ball
Q. I want to dance, as well as shop. What will I do with my items once I've purchased them?
A. If you wish you can leave your purchase items with the Vendor(s) in question and call for them when you leave. Or you can lock your purchases in your car. We will have a large and experienced Operations Staff inside the Center and in the parking lot next door. They will be happy to escort you to and from your car, should you so wish.
Subject: Hotels and Motels
Q. We want to stay overnight in San Jose. Where should we go?
A. San Jose has a great many hotels and motels in varying price ranges. Many of these are located downtown,
only a block or two away from the Civic Auditorium. We recommend that you check out
Silicon Valley City Search. It lists hotels by neighborhood and by
price and will have all the information you will need to find a great place to stay in San Jose.
These four hotels are located off of Highway 87 and they are very near the Civic Center:
- Holiday Inn Express (off of Monterey Ave) - 408-279-6600 - Business Class - nice, no frills.
- Crown Plaza (the one near Highway 87) - 408-998-0400 - A Full Service Holiday Inn
- The Hilton - 408-287-2100 - A very nice hotel
- The Fairmont San Jose - 408-9981900 - A romantic, luxury hotel
Other websites to check for lodging:
Subject: Items for Sale at the Ball
Q. What will Vendors offer for sale in the Vendors Room?
A. We try to have a wide range of unique items available for our attendees. The Vendors Room at present offers jewelry, masks, cloaks, costumes (all kinds), beaded bags, fans, corsets, candles, crystals, scarves, textiles, perfumes and many other unusual gifts.
The wide range of designs we offer includes Celtic, Pagan, Fantasy, Nordic, Egyptian, Middle Eastern, Asian, African and Nature Based designs.
The prices range from $7 for a silver pendant to $300 for a handmade velvet cloak so we suggest that you bring your checkbook and some ready cash.
PLEASE NOTE: Not all Vendors are able to accept Charge Cards.
You will have plenty of time to shop both before and during the Ball as the Vendors booths are open from 6 pm to 11:00 pm.
The Witches Ball is great chance to purchase wonderful gifts and to support local artists, craftspeople and Pagan vendors. We think you'll find something for everyone on your holiday list (including yourself).
Subject: Number of Attendees
Q. How many people come to the Ball?
A. Last year's Ball was a "Sell Out" with over 600 attendees and 13 Vendors. This year we have a much larger space and we expect to sell between 800 - 1,000 tickets.
Subject: Paganism
Q. What's a Pagan?
A. There are lots of answers to that question. In general in can be said that Pagans practice Nature Based Spirituality. Each Pagan follows their own unique spiritual path in connection to the Earth, the Elements and the turning of the Seasons.
Most Witches identify as Pagan but not all Pagans describe themselves as Witches. There exist many different Paths and Traditions among modern Pagans and this adds richness and diversity to our spiritual community.
You can find more information on Pagans and Paganism by clicking on the LINKS PAGE on our Full Circle website.
Subject: Pagans & Animals
Q. Why do you donate money to the Humane Society?
A. Most Pagans have pets (all kinds) and we tend to be big animal lovers.
A good example of this would be the wonderful page at The Witches Voice called
The Cats of Witchcraft.
Many Pagans in our community do animal rescue work and many more work to protect and heal the environment in some way.
We believe that nature is sacred and that it is our duty care for Mother Earth and her creatures.
Full Circle gives money to the Santa Clara Humane Society, in particular,
because they do such wonderful work in rescuing lost, orphaned or abused pets in our neighborhoods. They also offer
low cost spay and neuter clinics as
well as vaccinations and testing. They investigate and prosecute cases of animal cruelty and they educate the public
on animal care. Best of all, they adopt out thousands of animals each year to good homes.
We hope that events like The Witches Ball will inform more people about the fact that Pagan people love and protect animals.
Subject: Parking
Q. Where can we park?
A. There are paid parking lots next door to and within easy walking distance of the Civic Auditorium.
The cost of parking varies depending on which lot you choose, but prices are reasonable, overall. Also, the lots
are well guarded and the downtown area of San Jose is safe and well lit.
For the sake of the environment, we ask that you carpool.
For your own safety and the safety of others, we ask that you choose a Designated Driver for the evening - Please do not drink and drive.
Subject: Photographer
Q. Can I get my picture taken at the ball?
A. Yes, our popular team of professional photographers will be joining us again this year.
They can take a picture of you or your group in front of a beautiful background and then make the photo print for you
on the spot. The cost is $15 for one 5x7 photo print or two for $25.00. Each photo print comes in it's own protective
folder and has "Witches Ball 2002" printed on the bottom.
These photographers also do wonderful fairy photo portraits of children. You can see samples their work on their
website.
Subject: Organizers
Q. Who puts on The Witches Ball?
A. The Witches Ball is organized and hosted by Full Circle Events. FCE is a non-profit Neo-Pagan group that
plans events for the Earth Wise Community. Full Circle is staffed entirely by volunteers. For more information on
Full Circle please read the front page of the website.
Subject: Prices for Tickets:
Q. How much do tickets cost?
A. Ticket Prices are as follows:
Adult Ticket Schedule:
- May 1 - June 30 : $20
- July 1 - July 31 : $25
- August 1 - August 31 : $30
- September 1 - October 11 : $35
- October 12 : $40 at the door
Children's Ticket Schedule:
Tickets for children age 12 and under are $20 and will remain so up until the Ball.
Those of you who purchase tickets early in the year will be helping us to fund The Witches Ball when we need money the
most so we offer our Early Birds a lower ticket price as our way of saying "Thank you!"
PLEASE NOTE: We work very hard to keep ticket prices as low as possible so that the majority of those in the Earth Wise
Community can attend. As a result, we cannot afford to further lower the price of tickets by offering them on a sliding
scale or by offering special deals to certain groups. If you wish to obtain the cheapest price for a ticket to the ball,
we recommend buying a ticket early in the year when prices are at their lowest.
Subject: Purchasing Tickets:
Q. How do I get tickets to The Witches Ball?
A. There are three ways to obtain tickets for the Ball.
1. On-line: You can purchase Tickets via our website. We have a Secure Server and we take checks, PayPal and all major credit cards. Simply click on the button marked TICKETS and fill out the form. Tickets can be purchased on-line from May 1st - October 11th.
2. In Stores: From September 1st - October 12th, you will be able to purchase Witches Ball tickets at various stores. If you click on the button titled TICKETS you will find a list of stores in your area selling Witches Ball tickets.
3. Tickets can be purchased at the door on the night of the ball.
Subject: Restaurants
Q. We want to eat out before the ball. Where should we go?
A. Downtown San Jose has many great restaurants, pubs and diners that offer dinner in a variety of price ranges.
To find one, we suggest that you use the
Silicon Valley City Search website and take a look at their restaurant
guide. This guide lists restaurants by name, neighborhood, cuisine and price.
It will have all the information you need to find a great place to eat before the ball.
Subject: Ritual
Q. Will there be a Pagan Ritual performed at the Ball?
A. No. The Witches Ball is a social, not a sacred event.
If you would like information on the various public rituals and events held by the Pagan Community,
we suggest that you join our
Mailing List.
We send out a monthly newsletter which gives information on the various Pagan events held all over Northern California
throughout the year.
PLEASE NOTE: We never sell, give away or share our email list or any other information about our Full Circle friends and members.
Subject: Samhain and Halloween
Q. Why don't you hold the Witches Ball on Halloween Night?
A. We deliberately schedule the Witches Ball well before the sacred holiday of Samhain (pronounced "SAW-win") and
the secular holiday known as Halloween. We do this so as not to interfere with the various circles, rituals, gatherings
or parties that occur on or near October 31st.
If you aren't already familiar with the Pagan holiday of Samhain we recommend you read the
You call it Halloween, we call it Samhain
article at The Witches Voice website.
Subject: San Jose
Q. What is San Jose like?
A.San Jose is the capital of Silicon Valley and is situated about 50 miles south of San Francisco.
It is the largest city in Northern California, it has a warm and pleasant climate, and has topped the list of the USA's
safest big cities for the last five years. It is within easy driving distance of the lovely coastal cities of
Santa Cruz and Monterey. It is also close to the Santa Cruz mountains, the San Francisco Bay, San Francisco and
the beautiful beachs on the coast.
San Jose is a wonderful place to come for the weekend. You can easily explore the Bay Area of California when you are based in San Jose.
Commuter train systems travel from San Jose to San Francisco on a daily basis. There are major freeway systems leading
from San Jose into San Francisco. You can also travel to Carmel and Monterey, which are south of San Jose.
If you have the time and you like to drive, you can also visit the Wine Country in Napa and Sonoma, which are north of
San Francisco.
San Jose has an international airport. You can fly directly in to San Jose and avoid the traffic congestion and the
crowds at San Francisco International.
Subject: Selling Tickets
Q. How can I sell Tickets to the Witches Ball in my store?
A. If you own a physical store and you wish to sell Tickets to The Witches Ball, please
contact us.
Stores that sell tickets to the Witches Ball will be listed on our website. We will be happy to ad a link to your
store's website and/or list your address and telephone number. You will also receive two free tickets to the ball.
On-line sales are only conducted via the Full Circle website.
Subject: Security & Operations
Q. How safe is this site?
A. We have reserved the entire San Jose Civic Center for our own use that day and evening.
The Center itself is located in downtown San Jose. No one will be able to disturb our revels.
We do not anticipate that there will be any problems for our attendees either inside or outside the ball.
Operations for the ball will be handled by FLARE. These are the same folks who guarded and helped us at MUSE Camp.
Many of the FLARE members are also on the Operations Staffs at PantheaCon.
These men and women are capable, professional, well-trained and polite, not to mention stylish.
Please give them your cooperation and support.
The City of San Jose requires that we hire a certain number of police officers from the SJPD to be on hand at the
Civic Center on the night of the ball. These Officers will be at the ball to protect our attendees. They are all
Pagan friendly and they will work hand-in-hand with our Witches Ball staff and Operations Team to keep this evening and
safe and enjoyable one for all concerned.
Subject: Sponsorship & Donations
Q. I would like to become a Sponsor, what do I need to do and how much does it cost?
A. Our Sponsors pay a monthly fee to post a Banner Ad on the Witches Ball site.
If you don't already have a banner ad, we will be happy to make one for your group or store.
For further information on Sponsorship, please contact Dj
or call 408-224-4625
If you wish to make a donation of some kind, please use the same contacts as listed above.
Subject: Theme
Q. What is the theme of this year's ball?
A. The theme for the 2002 Witches ball is "Bohemia and the Mouline Rouge: Where the Elite Meet the Street".
The Bohemian movement began in Paris the 1830's and continued until 1914. The term Bohemian was used then to describe
free living, free thinking people. The Bohemians questioned the social conventions of their day and they were independent,
artistic, witty, and colorful. They were enthralled with the mystery and wonder of existence and they had what the
French call "joie de vivre".
This movement was closely allied with the city of Paris. During the second half of the nineteenth century, Paris emerged
as the entertainment capital of the world. The sparkling redesigned city fostered a culture of energetic crowd-pleasing
amusements that presented real life as a grand and dazzling spectacle. The theatre Moulin Rouge was at the heart of this
movement. The Moulin Rouge open in 1889 and it was a cafe, dance hall, and theatre all in one. It was then known as the
"rendezvous du high life". People came from all over to dance, to watch the dancers, and to watch each other watching the
dancers. The artist Toulouse-Lautrec was there, at the same table every night, drinking and sketching everything which
caught his fancy, particularly the dancers.
The Bohemian movement brought forth deep changes in culture. It oversaw a clash of high and low art that sent spasms
through painting, sculpture, music and writing that continue to this day. The Bohemians influenced the Beat Generation
of the 1950's who in turn influenced the Counterculture of the 1960s. The Bohemians, the Beats, and the Counterculture
have in their turn greatly influenced (for both good and ill) what is now known as the Modern Pagan Movement.
This Theme presents a wide range of costuming possibilities. Please see our
costume page for more details.
The theme for last year's ball was "Fairies" and it was inspired by the work of British Artist Brian Froud.
The theme for the year 2000 Witches Ball was "Art Deco".
The Theme in 2003 will be "The Silk Road". The Ball will take place on the third weekend of October in 2003.
Subject: Vending
Q. How do I apply to be a Vendor?
A.Click here and fill out the
Vendor Application Form. You will find all the information you need on that page.
Vendors will be chosen on a juried basis this year.
Subject: Visitor's Guide
Q. What is there to see and do in the area?
A. This is a wonderful area with lots to see and do.
The San Jose City web guide
lists things to do and see when you visit San Jose.
Subject: Volunteering
Q. I'd like to help with the Witches Ball, whom do I contact?
A. If you would like a volunteer to help out before, during or after The Witches Ball,
click here and fill out fill out our
Volunteer Form. Our Volunteer Coordinator will contact you shortly.
Subject: Wheelchairs
Q. Is the venue wheelchair accessable?
A. Yes, the San Jose Civic Center is wheelchair accessable and the bathrooms have just been remodeled to fit
ADA requirements.
Subject: Work/Trade Program
Q. Do you offer a Work/Trade Exchange Program for Volunteers?
A. No, we're sorry but we can't afford to do that. Firstly because Full Circle is a non-profit group operating
on a very lean budget. Secondly, The Witches Ball is a Charity Event and we like to give as much money as we can to the
Humane Society and still maintain enough operating costs to fund FCE through the next fiscal year. Finally, we work
hard to keep ticket prices as low as possible so that most people can afford to come. As a result, we do not have the
extra funds necessary for such an arrangement.
However, we do allow our Volunteer Staff to purchase their tickets later in the year at the opening ticket rate. The
number of volunteers allowed to do this varies from year to year. Only those volunteers who put in a certain number of
hours worth of work on the ball (either before the ball or on the night itself) will receive this special rate. Our
Volunteer Coordinator and our Committee Chairs have this information information available to give to their volunteers.
If you are on the Volunteer Staff, you will informed of this policy in more detail by our Volunteer Coordinator.
Thank you for reading our Witches Ball FAQ. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns.
The folks at Full Circle
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