| The People's Ball is BAI's way of kicking off the Carnival Season in Mobile, Alabama. In addition to being a cornerstone of our fundraising programs, it is a enthusiastic celebration of Mardi Gras in which everyone is invited to participate. Since BAI is not a Mardi Gras organization, but one that exists to support, protect, and celebrate the diverse communities of Mobile—especially the LGBT community and our allies—we take a slightly different approach.
The People's Ball is a Tableau Ball. What is tableaux? In Mardi Gras tradition, tableaux is a series of skits or dances centering around the theme of the ball, and performed by Krewe members of the Mardi Gras organization during their annual ball. The BAI People’s Ball tableaux performers are not members of any one organization. While they may represent their own organization or group, they are simply members of our greater Mobile community. Likewise, the monarchy for The People’s Ball is chosen by ballot, not entitlement. Instead of being selected by a committee, each tableaux participant places his or her name in a hat (whichever hat they prefer), one for King and one for Queen. After tableaux, the current monarchy pulls a name out of each hat and those two people become the monarchy for the following year! In this way, everyone in the tableaux is a potential King or Queen!
Another way this ball differs from all of the others is that we do not hold to the costume de rigueur which traditionally involves full-length evening gowns and white tie with tails for invited guests and masked costumes for society members. The People's Ball attendees are incouraged to costume (as reflects the theme), or wear what they consider to be "appropriate ball attire."
 2008 People's Ball - 80s Prom still available.
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