The Wonderland Ball: 2027 OBT Gala

Oregon Ballet Theatre is bringing back its annual gala, The Wonderland Ball, on Saturday, January 30, 2027, at the Portland Art Museum. It's the big fundraising night for the company, and the dress code is where it gets a bit playful: Fantastically Formal & Curiously Colorful. If you've been to one before, you know that's basically an invitation to lean into the weird and the bright rather than sticking to a standard black-tie look.

The evening is built around a few distinct parts. There's a live auction and a paddle raise—the two main ways the gala raises money—and an after-party to keep things going once the formal program wraps. It's the kind of night that starts with the structured side of fundraising and ends with people just hanging out and talking, so you can go as deep into the auction as you like or just show up for the party.

For a bit of context, Oregon Ballet Theatre is the largest professional dance company in the state. It was founded in 1989 and is led by Artistic Director Dani Rowe. Beyond the main company, it serves as the official training ground for the Oregon Ballet Theatre School, and it positions itself as a cultural wellspring for Portland and the Pacific Northwest, dedicated to fostering an enduring appreciation of dance through performance, training, and community programs. The gala is the annual moment when that community comes together to support the work they do throughout the year.

So, mark Saturday, January 30, on your calendar for the Portland Art Museum. Between the live auction, the paddle raise, and the after-party, there's plenty to do, and the Fantastically Formal & Curiously Colorful dress code gives you a good excuse to dig something loud out of the back of your closet.