Reviewed by Joanne Yau

The Mermaids Christmas Ball is an annual sold-out charity event. Photo by Joanne Yau.

As the autumn leaves slowly become buried by the winter frost and as temperatures plummet to nearly insufferable levels, most have one thing on our minds – exam season is upon us all. But before continuing with my midnight grind sessions, I had the opportunity of being whisked away to an unforgettable night of masquerade, sparkly dresses, prosecco and jazzy music, brought to me by the annual extravaganza that is the Mermaids Christmas Ball on the night of December 1st.

This year’s theme was “A Merry Masquerade Ball”, a delectable appetizer to the holiday season’s main course and harkening back to the timeless tradition of masked parties in places like Venice. While I’ve seen similar themes executed in other St Andrews events, there’s always been something rather attractive about slipping on a mask and becoming a mysterious and alluring “stranger of the night”, regardless of how many times I’ve done it. What is commendable is that Mermaids sold masks ahead of the ball for a decent price and I’ve known some people who even tried making their own. As a result, the partygoers looked very coordinated as a whole; the masks’ metallic accents and intricate lacy designs added a nice finishing touch to the jewel-toned gowns and suits.

The event was once again held in the Kinkell Byre, which always exudes a rustic charm no matter the time of year with its fairy lights and wooden interiors. Mermaids did a great job in making the venue extra carnivalesque by stationing a fire torch performer at the building entrance and having large masquerade- themed hanging decorations. The first few hundred guests could treat themselves to a free glass of prosecco and Janetta’s ice cream – there were food vendors selling pizza and gyros, but my mind was mostly on the freebies. My friend and I also tried a couple specialty cocktails – the Hot Chocolate had a nice spicy kick from the arbikie chili vodka, contrasting the sweetness of the Santa Claus-mopolitan.

Image 2: Partygoers showing up in masks at the Kinkell Byre. Photo by Joanne Yau.

Music-wise, the live band at the ball’s start built up a festive and jubilant atmosphere, delivering a range of songs from Christmas classics to ABBA songs with sultry and energizing vocals. The backdrop of the art deco Great Gatsby-esque projections made it really feel like I was being transported back to a 1920s speakeasy. As usual, DJs took over later in the night, hyping us up with exhilarating club beats. I somehow had hoped that the band would stay longer – because I simply crave the opportunity of listening to any form of live performance in this tiny town – but the DJ music was enjoyable, nevertheless.

Image 3: An entertaining performance by the live band.

After we got worn out by the dancing, we retreated to the photo booth where we got polaroids taken with amusing dress-up props and backdrops. There was also a marquee next to the main building, which had been set up with fairy lights, a movie screen showing black-and-white films, and tables where you could get tarot card readings. The area offered a nice respite from the bustle and overall tied in with the vintage ambience of the event well.

Image 4: The marquee adjacent to the main building.

As the night slowly slipped away, we made our way back to town. Luckily, retrieving our belongings from the cloakroom was a relatively smooth process, much unlike the chaos and confusion some other events have garnered a reputation for. Reading other reviews of previous Christmas Balls had made me slightly worried about the transport logistics, but the buses to and fro the event were mostly well-organized and thankfully, we weren’t waiting in the cold too long.

Overall, the Mermaids Christmas Ball offered a pleasing and magical getaway, and it is no wonder that it remains as one of the most popular sold-out events of the year, and it’s certainly not to miss if you are lucky enough to snatch a ticket within the first thirty milliseconds upon release. By tapping into a classic, crowd-pleasing theme and sprinkling some holiday coziness and zesty adrenaline here and there, you have the recipe for a dazzling winter’s ball.