Get Green and Grand at the St. Patrick's Day Irish Ball, Mar 12

The St. Patrick’s Day Irish Ball, running since 1992, has marked itself out from the very beginning as a centerpiece event in the Beijing social calendar and remains one of the premier Balls in Beijing for food, entertainment, and party atmosphere. Sure, there’s plenty of black tie elegance, but in a fun and relaxed atmosphere which transforms into an epic party which continues long into the night.

A key component of the Irish Ball menu is the showcasing of Irish products, which will all be available on the evening at the Kempinski Hotel-hosted party. Guests can look forward to Kinsale seafood chowder, a juicy steak, and delicious desserts made with premium Irish ingredients and prepared by the Kempinski's top chef.
 

On the entertainment side, there’s an excellent line up this year, including Traditional Irish music courtesy of Irish band Cuisle who are playing the ball for the third year running. The party will be rocking all night to the sound of two great funk and soul bands – Nancy and The Fantastics and The Solid Gold Dream Machine. Afterparty DJ, Yinmai O’Connor (DJ Half/N/Half), has Irish blood flowing through her veins and promises to keep the party going into the wee hours of the morning!

The Ball’s main alcohol sponsor this year, and for many years running, is Alltech. They'll be launching their new Irish craft beers on the night called The Foxes Rock, and will also provide premium whiskey on free-flow for the night. Jameson (also sponsoring the ball) will provide their eponymous whiskey free-flow all night also.
 

Tickets are selling fast for the Ball which will host over 600 people but there are still a small number of tickets available. To reserve a table or inquire about sponsoring the event, please contact the event organizers by email at irishballbeijing@hotmail.com. Otherwise, tickets can be reserved directly via the Irish Ball website. An individual ticket costs RMB 1,200 but discounts are available if you book a table of 12.

The Irish Ball’s designated Charity this year is Roundabout, a social enterprise headed by volunteers and supported by the community. They offer assistance by either directly passing on donated items or by selling them in their retail store to raise funds to pay for medical costs for orphans, the elderly, and others in need. They support educational and social charitable projects throughout China including the Growing Home's initiative to help those left behind children with bedtime stories.

This year main sponsor British Airways is offering an incredible first prize in the raffle: two return business class tickets from China to Ireland worth over RMB 126,000. The top prize will also include first class rail travel in Ireland, access to top tourist destinations on the Emerald Isle, and spending money in one of Ireland’s top boutique stores. All proceeds from the raffle will go to the Ball’s designated charity Roundabout.

You can see pictures of previous Ball's on Irish Ball Beijing's official website or read about the event here.

Photos: Irish Ball Beijing, lumdimsum.com