Gold masks and twinkly lights will fill the Oregon State Fairgrounds this Saturday as the 71st SnoBall dance fills the pavilion. The annual student-organized dance brings about 1,000 teens from high school across the greater Salem area together for a chance to socialize beyond their own classmates. Henry Baker, a senior at West Salem High School, said the multi-school focus makes it a favorite event of his. He’s part of the planning committee, which includes students from six Salem-Keizer School District high schools, as well as Dallas High School. “It’s an opportunity for kids from different schools to connect to each other,” he said.  His older brother, Evyn, helped organize past dances. Baker attended his first Sno Ball as an 8th grader, where he helped in the coat room. “It was a crazy experience,” he said of being surrounded by high schoolers. “At that time it was a far away different world.” The 2024 SnoBall poster North Salem High School students started SnoBall in 1953 as a fundraiser for the YWCA. The dance was originally a Sadie Hawkins dance, where girls asked boys for a date. Even during Covid, SnoBall didn’t miss a year. The 2020 dance was held virtually, with help from Allied Video Productions and local DJs. In 2021, the dance was one of the first large events to return to Salem following the pandemic under the theme “Together Again.” “We had parents just thanking us so much for having the dance because the kids had not been able to do anything in person for so long,” said Susan Adkins of Class Act Events, who works with students to organize the event. This year’s dance is themed “Masquerade Ball.” Decor will include gold masks, lots of black decor and shining lights. “It’s going to be really dark, pretty elegant,” Baker said. Students can buy tickets at their high schools this week for $30, or online here. Tickets the day of the dance are $35. Students are asked to show a school ID at the door. Adkins said homeschooled students are welcome to attend and can instead bring a letter from their parents saying that they’re homeschooled. Contact reporter Rachel Alexander: [email protected] or 503-575-1241. A MOMENT MORE, PLEASE– If you found this story useful, consider subscribing to Salem Reporter if you don’t already. Work such as this, done by local professionals, depends on community support from subscribers. Please take a moment and sign up now – easy and secure: SUBSCRIBE. The post Masquerade-themed SnoBall dance returns Saturday appeared first on Salem Reporter.