San Francisco may very well be the best costume town in the world. From Bay to Breakers to the many tendrils of Burning Man, San Franciscans just love to dress up, and most of us end up with a closet — or at least a storage box — dedicated solely to costumes.

Last weekend, one of SF’s most storied dress-up opportunities, the Edwardian Ball, celebrated its 25th year of spectacular looks. The event has its origins in, you guessed it, Burning Man, where a “dark cabaret” band called Rosin Coven built a martini bar in the middle of nowhere, playing sunset happy hour shows all week in the Black Rock Desert. Although some might assume the event is based on the opulence of the Edwardian era, it’s actually inspired by costume designer, author and illustrator Edward Gorey, who became known in the 1950s for his black-and-white drawings of ghoulish characters in historical dress.

A masked attendee arrives at the start of the Edwardian Ball in San Francisco on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026.

Elena Sanders performs during the annual Edwardian Ball in San Francisco on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026.

Jackaola Palacios of Nob Hill arrives at the Edwardian Ball in San Francisco on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026.

“One year in 1999, we were carousing around the bar after we played the show and noticed someone had left an Edward Gorey book on the bar. So we began reading it and just having fun, acting out the scenes,” said ball co-founder Justin Katz. They decided to launch a Gorey-inspired party that very same year, back in........

© SFGate