45th annual Freaker’s Ball brings "spooktacular" night to Bally's Lake Tahoe

LAKE TAHOE, Nev. - Get ready for a legendary night at the 45th annual Freaker’s Ball at Blu and Opal Nightclub in Bally’s Lake Tahoe on Saturday, October 26, 2024. The most highly anticipated Halloween event in Reno-Tahoe is back and promised to be better than ever.

In its 45th year, Freaker’s Ball is the ultimate way to mingle with the creatures of the night and enjoy the Halloween season. Named after the 1972 song written by Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show “Freakin’ at the Freaker’s Ball”, this event is perfect for those wanting a night filled with eerie entertainment and ghoulishly good times.

The event's story began in 1978 when Tim Haloren, Jim Rodgers, and Brian Williams worked at the Waystation, which has also been home to Marie Callender's, Deb Howard & Co. Realty, and Pizza Hut. Tim left in January of that year to open Nephele's, Jim left at the end of summer to work at Harrah's Tahoe (former CEO of KOA America) and Brian left about the same time to explore his entrepreneurial side and started Media West Group and ran the media room at American Century Championship.

It was Williams' brainchild to have a San Francisco-style Halloween party in Lake Tahoe called the Freaker's Ball modeled after the holiday festivities in San Francisco and using the name of the song. On October 31, 1978, Williams and his friends staged the first of many Freaker's Balls at the old Tahoe Chinese Palace, which was next to Raley's Stateline. After the Palace closed, it moved to the old Vagabond Motel (where Whole Foods now is), to Edgewood Tahoe for two years as it started to grow in popularity, and then landed at Turtles nightclub at Round Hill. It stayed with Turtles when they moved to the former Embassy Suites before landing at Caesars Tahoe, its home ever since (Caesars became MontBleu, and now Bally's). For the full history, read more HERE.

You’ll want to put this Halloween party on your bucket list if you've never gone.

Highlights of the evening include:

$10,000 Costume Contest: Show off your best costume for a chance to win huge prizes.
Spooky Sips: Savor a selection of Halloween-themed cocktails.
Live Entertainment: Vibe to the hottest live music from DJs at Blu & Opal Nightclub.

Doors will open at 9 p.m. The $10,000 Costume Contest winners will be announced just after the bewitching hour of midnight.

Tickets went on sale Friday, September 6. They are available at Universe.com. Don’t miss out on Tahoe’s most anticipated Halloween party of the year! For more information, visit casinos.ballys.com/lake-tahoe.