Fancy Vienna Ball Gets Bugs On The Menu

Vienna is home to many very fancy events during its annual ball season in January and February, but this year one ball is departing from traditional fine-dining fare and has announced that it will be putting insects on the menu.

According to The Local, the Vienna Sciences Ball is a relatively young event during ball season. This will only be its second year in existence. But it's managed to make a name for itself with a very unusual menu of mealworms and crickets in addition to more traditional passed hors d'oeuvres.

The guests will be eating bugs that evening, and they won't be alone. Organizers say they plan to include carnivorous plants like Venus fly traps as centerpieces. The Vienna botanical gardens reportedly agreed to lend the plants for the event.

Event organizer Oliver Lehmann said the goal of the relatively young ball is to "represent Vienna science in all its diversity, excellence and greatness."

The ball takes place on Saturday, January 30, and proceeds from the event will go to help a Vienna University program to aid refugees.