Anna Nelson

It takes a lot of people and planning to host a big party.

When UW-Eau Claire creates what’s been documented as the world’s largest Viennese Ball outside of Vienna, nobody knows the amount of work that’s involved better than Beverly Soll, who’s in her third year as executive director of the event.

It takes a small army of behind-the-scenes and on-stage workers to make everything run smoothly when Davies Center is transformed into 19th-century Vienna for the largest social event hosted annually by the university.

Between 500 and 600 people set-up before the event and worked or performed at the 28th annual Viennese Ball, Soll said.

The sold out event attracted about 1,250 students, faculty and community members to campus on both Friday and Saturday nights.

There’s nearly one worker for every couple at the ball each evening.

To spread the crowd throughout Davies, rooms on both floors are made into shops, cafes, restaurants and bars and places of entertainment for dancing and listening to a variety of music.

Junior Walt Smanski worked as an usher on Friday. He welcomed attendees, escorted women across the bridge over Little Niagara and generally made sure nothing got out of control.

“I’m basically working to pay off the tickets,” said Smanski, who has ushered at the last three Viennese Balls and went for first time without working on Saturday.

Juniors Krista Haugner and Anthony Sieg worked at the coat check on Friday.

Sieg and Haugner, who got engaged last Christmas, had planned on attending the event but didn’t get tickets before it sold out. An RA in Putnam Hall who helped organize the coat check signed the couple up to work Friday night and attend Saturday night for free.

“It’s two nights for the labor of one,” Haugner said Friday. “Tomorrow we can just enjoy ourselves.”

Sieg and Haugner said they checked between 500 and 600 items on Friday night.

Haugner’s favorite part of the ball is “getting little tastes of everything,” she said. “It’s neat to see everyone of all ages dressed up and having fun together.”

“I love all the tortes,” Sieg said. “And the coffee. We need the caffeine to keep going.”

Allison Schultz and Lindsey Cattau, Eau Claire Memorial High School students, served tortes both nights.

“We have the slower station, but we’ve gotten rid of quite a few tortes tonight,” Schultz said Friday.

Many of the tortes were donated, Schultz said. Proceeds from the tortes, as are all profits from the Viennese Ball, provide music scholarships and international study awards for UW-Eau Claire students.

For a second-straight year, sophomore Kuzma Kurakin bartended at the event both nights.

Kurakin said the most popular drink served in The Cabin on Friday was Gosser, a dark Austrian beer.

The ball showcased music and theatre arts department ensembles, some of which include the University Symphony Orchestra, Jazz Ensemble I, The Singing Statesmen and the Women’s Concert Chorale.