Teddy Bear Party 2025
- 6 Dec 2025
- Dallas, TX
Every December, Dallas’s lgbtq+Q+ community shows that parties can make a difference. The Teddy Bear Party began in 2009 when co‑founder Jason Hanna invited friends to his home for a small holiday fundraiser and asked them to bring teddy bears for children in local hospitals. Over the years the gathering has grown into a 500‑guest gala complete with DJs, drag performers and a warehouse full of plush toys. The concept is simple: buy a ticket, bring a new twenty‑four‑inch teddy bear and dance the night away knowing that your donation will brighten the holidays for kids facing cancer and other life‑threatening illnesses. Proceeds from the event now fund the Foundation for lgbtq+QIA+ Equality, Equality Texas and other Texas‑based nonprofit organisations, while the bears are distributed to hospitals and community organisations across the state.
The party’s roots are deeply personal. When Hanna’s mother Kaye was diagnosed with stage‑four lung cancer in 2011, he dedicated the event in her honour and organised a teddy bear drive for a local children’s hospital. The lgbtq+Q+ community rallied behind him and more than 225 teddy bears were collected that year. Sadly, Kaye passed away a few months later, but her legacy lives on. In the years since, the Teddy Bear Party has donated over US$685,000 and more than 13,000 teddy bears to its beneficiaries. That sense of compassion still pervades the evening; everyone who attends knows they are helping families facing unimaginable challenges.
For 2025 organisers are moving the party to On The Levee in the Dallas Design District and have set the date for Saturday 6 December 2025. Doors open at 8 p.m., and guests can expect performances from international guest DJs, local singers and a few surprise celebrity hosts. The main hall transforms into a winter wonderland lined with twelve‑foot Christmas trees and mountains of donated teddy bears; volunteers collect bears at the door and arrange them into photo‑worthy installations. As always, the dress code is festive holiday attire with plenty of glitter and faux fur; some attendees even customise their own bear ears or onesies. Although the atmosphere is exuberant, the purpose of the night remains front and centre—every ticket sold and every bear donated supports children and families facing serious illness.
This annual holiday event also supports equality and social justice. Over the past decade the party has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for organisations such as Family Equality, Equality Texas and The Trevor Project. It also provides free valet parking and an open bar so that guests can focus on celebrating and giving back. The Design District location is easy to reach and the venue itself has state‑of‑the‑art sound, a large dance floor and an outdoor patio. If you love big sound systems and creative lighting, you’ll feel right at home. Many of the DJ sets lean heavily into high‑energy house and pop remixes, but there are quieter corners where you can catch up with friends or admire the towering “teddy bear trees” decorated with hundreds of plush toys.
If you’re planning to attend, buy your tickets early. This is a volunteer‑run event and it sells out every year. Organisers keep overhead costs low so that as much money as possible goes to research and youth services. Even if you can’t make it, you can still contribute by purchasing a ticket for someone else or donating a bear at one of the drop‑off points around Dallas. Volunteers will make sure your bear ends up in the arms of a child who needs it. The party also offers opportunities for businesses to become sponsors or donate services; those contributions help cover venue costs, DJ fees and other essentials so that all ticket revenue benefits the charities.
Teddy Bear Party isn’t just a fundraiser; it’s a way to kick off the holiday season with a sense of community. The guests come from all walks of life—long‑time Dallas residents, visitors from other states and families who have been supported by the charities. Strangers become friends over shared memories of loved ones lost to cancer and over the simple act of carrying a plush bear. Throughout the night you’ll hear heartfelt toasts, DJ shout‑outs and thank‑yous from organisers, but you won’t find any stuffy formalities. The mood is light, the drinks are flowing, the dance floor is packed, and the piles of donated bears grow taller as the hours pass. It’s equal parts party and charity drive, and that balance is what keeps people coming back year after year.
Whether you’re a first‑time visitor or a regular, mark your calendar for 6 December 2025 and plan to bring a cuddly companion. The Teddy Bear Party proves that giving back doesn’t have to be solemn—it can be glittery, loud and unapologetically joyful. Pack your dance shoes, pick out your most outrageous winter outfit and come ready to make a difference. If you need more details about tickets, dress codes or sponsorship opportunities, check the official site below.
Official website: https://teddybearparty.org