It’s not often that you get to gussy yerself up in punk-meets-Marie Antoinette finery and a tricked-out mask and go swanning ’round a jumping par-tay for a truly deserving cause. Actually, there are a couple of upcoming events where you can do all that. Masquerade balls: Trend alert?

Exhibit A: This Saturday, the Sixth Annual Bling-Bling Fling benefits the Martinez Street Women’s Center, a much-needed women’s-health beacon on the Southeast Side. Through their innovative Promotora Program, volunteers from the community are trained to educate women in pre-natal care, parenting, breast health, diabetes prevention, nutrition and more. The 10-year-old MSWC also runs a popular summer camp and afterschool programs for girls, publishes the (completely awesome, girl-created) GirlZone newspaper, and acts as a mental and preventative health resource for more than 15,000 peeps annually. Food and wine will be served, DJs JJ Lopez and John Mata will spin, and there’ll be hula hoopers, a Tarot Card reader, and emcees Quinn (of 99.5 KISS) fame, and, well, me. Don’t miss the silent art auction, either. $25, 6-11 p.m., October 24, Artpace, 445 N. Main, mswomenscenter.org.

Exhibit B: scarcely a week later, slap that mask back on for the Second Annual Miss Alexis Meridian’s “Carnevale di Venizia” benefitting the San Antonio AIDS Foundation and the Douglas Carter Scholarship Fund. $42-$78, 8 p.m., October 30, 112 E. Pecan, mammb.com.

Go to both, gente: Y’all know two balls are better than one. — Sarah Fisch