Experience a weekend of erotic entertainment at the third annual Bellingham Erotic Ball — Whatcom County’s premier adult event. This year’s theme is “Heroes vs Villains" and will be hosted at the historic Hotel Leo in Downtown Bellingham on Saturday, October 11, 2025. This year’s event will be a “hotel takeover”! This allows us to use all the hotel's public spaces for Erotic Ball events and entertainment. You're invited to wear your sexiest outfit — or whatever you feel comfortable in!
This year’s event will feature…
Dancing & Live Entertainment in the Crystal Ballroom
A vendor hall showcasing erotic and queer artists
Light appetizers are included in admission
Kink Demonstration Room: a fun kink exploration space
And more!
This event is put on by the Bellingham Queer Collective — a 501(c)(3) organization. Proceeds from the event will support the new BQC community center located in the Downtown Bellingham Arts District.
Purchase Tickets
EARLY BIRD ADMISSION
Attend the Erotic Ball on Saturday night. Doesn’t include hotel reservations.
Early Bird Ends September 11th
STANDARD ADMISSION
Attend the Erotic Ball on Saturday night. Doesn’t include hotel reservations.
CONTRIBUTOR ADMISSION
Want to go the extra mile and support the BQC further?
Includes early admission at 7:00pm
Doesn’t Include hotel reservations
Stay at the Hotel Leo
When you rent your room for the night, forward your confirmation email to info@bellinghamqueercollective.org with the Subject Line "BEB25 HL Confirmation" to receive $20 off up to two tickets to the 2025 Bellingham Erotic Ball!
More information to come.
Your Guide to the Weekend’s Events
Stay at the Historic Hotel Leo
Make a weekend out of the event by reserving a room at the historic Hotel Leo. When Saturday night partygoers reserve a room using our custom link, a portion of the proceeds will go to the BQC!
Discounted rooms are also available on Friday and Sunday nights if you want to spend a long weekend in beautiful Bellingham! Use the button below to access our special pricing.
When you rent your room for the night, forward your confirmation email to info@bellinghamqueercollective.org with the Subject Line "BEB25 HL Confirmation" to receive $20 off up to two tickets to the 2025 Bellingham Erotic Ball!
More information to come.
fRIDAY, oCTOBER 10TH
7:00PM - 10:00PM
Community Mixer / Meat & Greet at Amendment 21 Lounge
Kick off the weekend with a Friday evening no-host mixer in the Hotel Leo’s Amendment 21 Lounge — a Prohibition-era cocktail lounge serving craft cocktails, local brews, fine wines, and a shareable bites menu. All community members are welcome to attend the no-host mixer; no registration is needed.
Unlock the Hotel Leo
Guests can participate in Unlock the Hotel Leo. This one-of-a-kind immersive escape-room-style adventure takes them through the nearly 100-year-old historic hotel, listening to its stories and unlocking its mysteries. The adventure can accommodate parties of up to eight people.
This tour requires walking throughout the hotel and is not wheelchair accessible.
Saturday, October 11TH
Morning & Afternoon
Explore What Bellingham Has To Offer
Looking for some ways to spend Saturday morning and afternoon? There is so much to see and do in Bellingham! You will love looking around from mountains to waterfront sunsets, lush farms to verdant forests, and gigantic murals to abundant bird species.
Saturday, October 11TH - 7:30pm
Bellingham Erotic Ball: Heroes vs. Villains
This year’s event will be a “hotel takeover,” which allows us to use all the hotel's public spaces for Erotic Ball events and entertainment. You're invited to wear your sexiest outfit—or whatever you feel comfortable in!
Dancing & Live Entertainment in the Crystal Ballroom
Erotic and queer artists’ vendor hall
Light appetizers are included in admission. Meals available for purchase at A21
Amendment 21 Lounge for mixing, mingling with drinks, and food options
Kink Demonstration Room: a fun kink exploration space
Sunday, October 12TH
DRAG VARIETY SHOW
Drag Variety Show At the Hotel Leopold
Join us Sunday morning for a special drag and variety show in the Hotel Leo’s Crystal Ballroom from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. This event will showcase several local performers and artists sharing their talents.
Volunteer at the Erotic Ball
This is a large fundraising and entertainment event, and we need lots of help! Some volunteers will be needed to prepare in the weeks before the event, some for set up and tear down on the day of the event, and others for help during the event.
Thanks for being an essential part of the success of our fundraising event! We are hosting a volunteer appreciation event in mid-November to celebrate our volunteers.
2025 Erotic Ball Tasting Room
Unique among fundraising galas, the kink demonstration room features authentic dungeon equipment. This safe and supervised area is specifically designed to destigmatize and ignite further curiosity about the often misunderstood world of kink. Highly practiced demonstration tops will offer short samplings known as “tastings” using a wide variety of equipment and skill sets.
Frequently Asked Questions
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"Eroticism is not sex; it's sexuality transformed by the human imagination." This party is a way to celebrate our identities and sexuality in a friendly, safe environment by dressing up in outfits and costumes that make us feel good, sexy or playful, powerful or creative. There is no nudity or sex allowed at this public event. A cocktail dress or a shirt and jacket are appropriate for a party. Costumes are encouraged. Some people may choose to reveal more skin than others. Some may choose to wear pasties to conceal their nipples or a thong to cover their genitals. In other words, No Nips and No Bits are to be exposed. We will have drag and burlesque performers who will exude eroticism through reveals and erotic dance. The Erotic Ball will be an opportunity to exercise our imaginations!
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We will serve appetizers throughout the night. Food and drinks — both alcoholic and non-alcoholic — will also be available for purchase at Hotel Leo's Amendment 21 Restaurant & Cocktail Bar - located inside the hotel. Water will be available at no cost.
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The Kink Demonstration Room takes place in a separate room. It features a variety of kink experiences where guests sign a waiver and then participate in a kink "tasting." Tastings are short sessions where guests can receive flogging, spanking, tickling, experience ropes play, and other safe explorations of non-traditional sexuality in a non-judgmental space. Full nudity, sex acts, and penetrative sex are not permitted. The focus is expanding guests' understanding of kink and play. We do not offer "hardcore" or more advanced sessions in the Erotic Ball environment. The goal is to titillate and excite guests with authentic kink experiences. We focus on consensual play, respecting all guests, and providing a fun, exploratory experience. If sexual expression and exploration make you uncomfortable, we recommend you stay out of this area. Thank you for supporting sex-positive events, and welcome to the Bellingham Erotic Ball!
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Overnight parking is complimentary for guests in the Hotel Leo parking lot off Cornwall Ave. Parking is limited and based on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Additional Parking Options Downtown
• Metered street parking is available throughout downtown Bellingham.
• Be sure to check the time limits posted at each meter.
• Off-street parking is available at numerous garages and lots within 1-2 blocks of the hotel.
Please plan ahead if you plan to drink alcohol and consider a designated driver, Lyft, or Taxi instead of driving.
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The BQC is a new 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to connect, celebrate, unite, and advocate for LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities. We started as a social group on Facebook in November 2022 after hosting two social events at the Mount Baker Theatre to build up our queer community. The first was a film documentary screening of "Ahead of the Curve," and the second was the "Winter Glitter Ball." These two events and monthly BQC Advisory Meetings helped us envision what our queer community could look like post-COVID. With over 1200 members in our Private FB now and several affinity groups needing a safe place to meet, we are ready to start raising funds to open a community center where community members can be assisted in navigating resources, being in the community, attending educational workshops, and more. Our programs will grow as we grow as an organization.
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The Bellingham Erotic Ball is an inclusive event for 21+ adults who are part of our LGBTQ+ and BIPOC community, AND all of our friends, allies, and supporters who embrace and celebrate all sexualities, genders, racial and ethnic identities. It is not an event for people who are not supportive or accepting of these communities. We will host educational programs to help those uncomfortable with these communities learn more in a different environment.
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We've partnered with Hotel Leo to provide discounted rooms on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. If you want to spend a long weekend in beautiful Bellingham, use this link to access discounted pricing.
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Whatever makes you feel comfortable or sexy, scary, trendy, funny, erotic, kinky, furry, or clever. This is a sex-positive, queer-hosted event where all are welcome. We want all guests to dress for a night of fun exploration and express themselves any way they want! It is also a night to enjoy the creativity and eroticism of all of the guests! It's OK to stare, just don't be creepy or disrespectful, and don't touch without consent!
There will be a coat check, so dress in layers and protect your sexy, fun, leather, lace, or furry costume!
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Direct any questions you have to events@bellinghamqueercollective.org
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All funds raised from this event will support the Bellingham Queer Collective, a nonprofit organization whose mission is the connect, celebrate, unite, and advocate for the LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities. We are in the beginning stages of grant writing and fundraising to open a community center in the downtown Bellingham Arts District.