The Fetish Ball Is Back – and Bigger and Ballsier Than Ever

Every spring, the locals of California town San Juan Capistrano dress in costume to celebrate the miracle of rebirth and the swallows returning to their home. Here in Dallas we also have an annual spring celebration: We call it the Fetish Ball, and the costumes are a lot naughtier.

After being canceled the last two years, both festivals are back on for 2022. The Fetish Ball's steady stream of bare bottoms, taped nipples and partners on leashes, however, are proof that we're truly on our way back to normal.
Lots has changed since the 2019 Fetish Ball, and the biggest change might have been the loss of its traditional venue, The Lizard Lounge, which closed in 2020. For the Fetish Ball, the loss also may have been serendipitous. Promoters Don Nedler and Courtney Crave knew that the event was outgrowing its home — in terms of capacity and the ability to stage the kind of performances they wanted to bring in. They needed a bigger, more capable home and had already started thinking about the House of Blues.

Taking all this kink to a mainstream venue like the House of Blues seems like a pretty big risk, but according Nedler, they couldn’t be happier about the way things turned out. “The space was fantastic," Nedler told us after the show. "House of Blues welcomed us and were so accommodating. We'd never been in a proper showroom and the visual impact was stunning.”

Did the fancy new digs change the nature of the ball? Probably, yes. Whereas previous Fetish Balls may have had the raw, grainy and illicit documentary style of old Swedish erotica film I am Curious (Yellow), this year leaned a little more toward the lavish sexual extravagances of Eyes Wide Shut. All the usual kink was still on display, it just seemed a little more … hygienic. Maybe we did learn something from the pandemic.

And no doubt the stage was put to good use, with top flight talents such as Rubber Doll, Diva Deri and magician Dan Sperry holding court. Everything was as slick as the material used in the Jane Doe Latex fashion show.
“We weren't sure what to expect for this year's event," Nedler said. "It had been almost two and a half years since we'd been able to produce the Fetish Ball. Turns out, people were ready for a night of fun, fashion and kink. It was the largest turnout in our 22-year history.”

Time to wipe down the latex and get ready for next year’s rites of spring.