Bear Ball XL: Canada’s Newest Bear Run
Bear Ball XL: Canada’s Newest Bear Run
It’s not often that a burgeoning bear run is built from the ground up, but that’s exactly what happened in… Halifax, Nova Scotia?!?
That’s right! Canada’s newest full-weekend event, Bear Ball XL, took place from July 2 – 5, 2026, and we’ve got the inside scoop along with tons of photos.
Those Haligonians (people from Halifax) might be on to something, because we’ve seen nothing but rave reviews on the socials after the 3-day event wrapped up.
How did this event come out of nowhere to take over Canada’s east coast?
The story of Bear Ball began back in the fall of 2021. At the height of the pandemic, with Halifax left without a single LGBTQ+ venue, organizers Darrin Pope and Andy Stark refused to let their community go without a place to gather.
The very first Bear Ball was hosted at a local community curling club before the pair found a new home in a grand hotel setting and produced 12 more wildly successful events over the following years.
With momentum building and an incredible community behind them, they set their sights on something even bigger: transforming Bear Ball into a full-weekend bear run inspired by legendary events like TBRU, Tidal Wave, and Hibearnation.
The extra large event was signified by the addition of XL to its moniker.
With initial plans drawn up in 2024, Andy and Darrin fought to secure a welcoming, inclusive venue in downtown Halifax to serve as a home base for visitors looking to explore the city.
Though they were initially met with adversity, they worked with the CQCC (Canada Queer Chamber of Commerce) and were approved to take over the majority of The Hollis hotel for the July 4th weekend.
Having finalized their itinerary, they built a website from scratch and launched Bear Ball XL.
To their amazement, weekend passes sold out in just 12 days, with individual tickets to the main event, Furlesque, selling out shortly thereafter. Guests flew in from cities like Dallas, Seattle, Chicago, Cincinnati, Rehoboth Beach, Harrisburg, Richmond, Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton, and more!
It’s clear that the guys have a hit on their hands. Here are photos from various parts of the weekend:
There were also 2 other parties, Bear Island and Disco Bear, as well as a Beers n’ Bears mixer at a local gastropub, a relaxing Bear Games meetup for those who love pinball, video games, and board games, and a private, catered VIB (Very Important Bear) reception for the weekend passholders.
So what’s next for Bear Ball XL? Future plans have yet to be announced, but you can follow @BearBalHFX on Instagram or visit BearBall.ca to stay looped in to any updates.
