Bridgerton Comes to Life at the Dallas Public Library's July Ball

With the recent premiere of Season 3 of Netflix's Bridgerton, it’s likely that much of your early summer has been spent watching (and rewatching) the beloved period drama. Although Dallasites will have to wait another year to immerse themselves in the Galleria’s Bridgerton experience, the Dallas Public Library will put fans in high spirits later this month at its own Regency-era ball.

As part of Dallas Public Library’s Summer Saturdays event programming, North Texas’ Bridgerton Ball will be held on the sixth floor of the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library on Saturday, July 13. From 6 to 9 p.m, Regency fans ages 18 and up can visit the free pop-up ballroom to enjoy an evening of Bridgerton-inspired merriment.

Librarian Emily Goodwin, one of several staff members helping to organize the event, says the Bridgerton Ball is partly inspired by the success of the library’s Dark Fae Masquerade event inspired by the A Court of Thorns and Roses book series. After last year's masquerade drew more than 500 attendees to the library, Goodwin knew the staff had stumbled upon a fun niche audience.

“All of us [the library staff] thought to ourselves, ‘You know, clearly we're tapping into something,’” Goodwin says. “People are interested. People want to have fun and just kind of have a chance to dress up. And now we want to try something new.”

Goodwin says the timing of the Bridgerton Ball was perfect. With the growing numbers of books in the Bridgerton novel series and the release of Season 3 of the TV drama, kicking off Dallas’ summer social season just felt right.

“It’s also a benefit to us here at the library, since quite a few of us here are fans of Bridgerton,” Goodwin says. “We’re just as excited as the fans we’re hosting.”

To match the fanciful fashion of the period piece event, guests are encouraged to come dressed in their finest Regency attire, but costumes are not required. If you’re looking for some last-minute options for fanciful fashion, Goodwin recommends looking up “Regency attire” on sites like Amazon and Etsy.

Once members of Dallas’ “ton” have made their way into the venue, guests can start to fill out their dance cards at English country dance classes taught by the North Texas Traditional Dance Society. Two sets of classes will be available, one at 6:30 and the other at 7:30, where guests can learn how to step, twirl and swing like guests at Queen Charlotte’s renowned balls. To further immerse North Texans in the London-set world of Bridgerton, the library will provide the show’s soundtrack as the dance floor’s musical accompaniment.

Whether you plan to arrive at the ball donning a 17th-century gown or modern-day mini dress, there will still be much to learn about Regency-era fashion at the event. In addition to dance lessons, the library will host a Regency fashion discussion at 7 p.m. hosted by Lisa Torres, a professor from Dallas College’s Department of Fashion.
 
Those who become further inspired to dress like they’ve stepped into their favorite period drama will also be able to visit the Dallas Public Library’s own modiste shop. In place of Bridgerton’s Madame Delacroix, Dallas-based historical fashion shop Stitchin’ Addiction will display Regency-era fashions like dresses and cloaks, which will be available for purchase. Visitors can also promenade through a mini market of other vendors, including East Dallas Vintage, BinkStudio and Beading Dreams, to peruse jewelry and other accessories.

While working up an appetite on the dance floor, guests can enjoy delicacies from Proper Baking Company and Oh My Curry. Free light appetizers and drinks are available to all while supplies last. Full meals from partner vendors will also be available for a fee.

Longtime fans of Bridgerton will recognize the idea of a series-inspired pop-up ball from Netflix’s viral series pop-up events as part of its “The Queen’s Ball: A Bridgerton Experience” tour across the country. However, limited capacities, selective city venues (the tour never made its way to the Lone Star State) and $50 ticket prices limited many fans from enjoying the Regency festivities. Goodwin says such limitations make holding free, public events like Bridgerton Ball for the community all the more special for her and fellow staff members.

“I know so many of our patrons want to come to stuff like this, and just cannot afford it,” Goodwin says. “It's not something the average person can spend a lot of money on. And so I love that we have the ability to do something fun like this, that people can dress up, they can feel special, and they can do it in whatever price range they have available to them. Everyone should feel able to join in on the fun.”

Goodwin says no gentlemen or debutantes will be turned away at the door, but registering online ahead of time helps the library prepare for an estimated number of guests. Once you arrive at the event, you can park your carriage at no cost in the nearby parking garage and make your way to the entrance located behind the library at 1541 Wood St.

More information about registration and the ball schedule can be found at dallaslibrary.com.