16th Annual VMB – Saturday, May 26, 2018
#VMB2018 #VMBPDX #VampireBallPDX
Welcome to the official website of the Vampire’s Masquerade Ball, hosted exclusively by Lady Raven Productions in Portland, Oregon, the VMB is a 21+ formal Gothic evening event bringing in 700+ attendees from all over the nation. It’s a night that focuses on elegance, finery, and dark decadence in one of Portland’s oldest and largest ballrooms highlighting the best in Gothic/Industrial music, live performances and regional vendors!
The 16th VMB is scheduled for Saturday, May 26th, 2018 at the historic Melody Ballroom. The Grand Ballroom is the center of the evening, while the Lower Ballroom is the Vendor Area featuring 20+ regional vendors, professional catering and a photobooth.
TICKETS
Online ticket sales have been pulled! Only 100 tickets will be available at the door on a first-come/first-served basis.
Tickets at the Door: $60.00 – Cash Only
This event is 21+
All tickets are NON-REFUNDABLE
Please note that tickets must be in-hand for entry into the event, a PayPal print out/receipt will NOT BE VALID. If you have not received your tickets, please notify us by Friday, 5/25 so the missing ticket numbers can be added to the cancellation list and we can then include your name for Will-Call tickets at the door.
Date Purchased………. Date Mailed Out
3/1 – 4/24 ………………. 26-Apr
4/25 – 5/1 ………………. 3-May
5/1 – 5/16 ……………….. 17-May
5/17 – 5/24……………… WILL-CALL (at the door)
All tickets purchased online from May 17th through May 24th are WILL CALL and you will not receive them in the mail. The door staff will have a list of names for those purchases and you will receive your tickets at the door.
Quick Event Details
9:00PM – 2:00AM
21+ only
Full bar, both ballrooms
Waltz at Midnight
Live Performances
DJ’s
Professionally catered food
Photobooth
Coat check
Dress Code Enforced (see below for further information)
Meet & Greet
The Meet & Greet, held the night before the 16th Annual Vampire’s Masquerade Ball, is a low-key gathering; a chance for VMB attendees coming in from both near and far to relax, grab a drink, and catch up with friends both old and new the night before the main event. You can RSVP to the M&G on the FB Event Invite.
Where: Raven & Rose, 1331 SW Broadway
When: Friday, May 25, 7:00PM – 9:00PM
Where is this place at? Glad you asked, the Raven & Rose, located in Downtown Portland, is an old Victorian carriage house built in 1883 and the last remaining building from the once grand Ladd Estate. It has since been fully restored and renovated into the restaurant and lounge it is today. Esquire Magazine listed it as one of the best bar’s in America, 2014.
We will be upstairs in the Rookery (21+). Please note that the lounge offers a bar menu, so if you would like a full dinner, it’s advised you dine downstairs in the restaurant earlier in the evening (make reservations in advance!), then join us upstairs for drinks at 7:00.
There is no dress code and no door cover.
The Waltz at Midnight
In 2008, the violinist Paul Mercer initiated what was to become a tradition every year at the VMB, the waltz at midnight. While the evening is filled with gothic/industrial music, at midnight is when the attention is given over to classical instruments. This is when all guests are invited to waltz with their partners on the main floor. In recent years, the Waltz at Midnight has been performed by an exquisite Octet featuring members of the Oregon Symphony, the Oregon Ballet Symphony, and the Vancouver Orchestra. It is truly one of the crown jewels of the evening.
What do you mean by “Dress Code Enforced”?
The VMB is a formal event and not to be confused for a ‘costume party’. Appropriate attire includes tuxedos, ball gowns, corsets, period wear (Victorian, Edwardian, Renaissance, etc.), neo-Victorian, evening gothic club wear. Suits and cocktail dresses are also appropriate attire.
NO STREET CLOTHES ALLOWED (blue jeans, t-shirts, tank tops, etc.).
Are masks required? No, but they are encouraged. Guests wearing masks have always been around 50/50.
Where do you recommend I shop? Aside from the vast internet, you should check out what the local area has to offer in our shopping/dining link.
What is the VMB?
The Annual Vampire’s Masquerade Ball is a night of gothic elegance and decadence highly anticipated each year in the city of roses and hosted exclusively by Lady Raven Productions. It’s an evening where over 800 guests from the various gothic/industrial/alternative lifestyle communities from around the nation and the world gather in the Melody Ballroom amongst crystal chandeliers and Edwardian cornices to socialize and dance the night away. The VMB strives to offer its guests the experience of a formal gala at an attainable price; shared with like-minded company from the gothic/industrial communities who appreciate creative and individual expression, and the event is of course LGBTQ friendly. The name “Vampire’s Masquerade Ball” is meant to evoke dark romanticism and a gothic interpretation of beauty.
Dancing is only one of the many entertainments the VMB offers. The venue is divided between two floors with captivating live performances and local DJ’s spinning gothic/industrial in the grand ballroom; while in the lower ballroom regional vendors will be selling their wares. Additionally a lavish, professionally catered buffet of savory cheeses, meats, and baked goods awaits, as well as a delectable dessert selection and fountains of chocolate. Fully stocked bars including an absinthe fountain and specialty cocktails will be available on both floors and do accept credit cards.
Consider the Vampire’s Masquerade Ball an opportunity to dress in your finest evening or historic dress! Over the years the observed guest attire has included every genre from the gothic scene including old-school goth, steampunk, Edwardian, Victorian, Cyberpunk, all the way to black tie and regal ballgowns. To further clarify, the VMB being a formal event should not be confused with a “costume party” or re-enactment, and street clothes are not permitted. Guests are encouraged, but not required, to arrive masked. If you have any questions about dress code please email Lady Raven.
The Melody Ballroom, site of the VMB since 2007, was established in 1925. Its historic ambiance is enhanced by thirty-foot ceilings, scarlet walls, marble staircases, and as the staff say, hauntings! The venue now features an elevator.
*If you are flying into Portland: Our rail system services the PDX Airport. The MAX Red Line goes from the airport all the way into downtown and passes through the hotels near the Convention Center on the East Side of the river (the side of the venue). Please visit Tri-Met to plan your public transportation needs.
Any questions about the VMB can be directed to the event’s organizer, Lady Raven
The annual Vampire’s Masquerade Ball (VMB) solely hosted by Lady Raven Productions is exclusive to Portland, OR. Any other events in the state or across the country with a similar name or theme are in no way related to, or sponsored by, Portland’s VMB.