Bridgerton Ball on Pratt
Incl. Hartford Symphony Orchestra string quartet
Pratt Street
Hartford
July 11, 2026
Lords, ladies, aristocrats, military officers and all manner of social climbers descended on Pratt Street for a celebration of high fashion from an era past.
The Bridgerton Ball on Pratt Street gave fans of the hit Netflix show the opportunity to strut their stuff as members of high society. The party included games, cocktails and food inspired by the era of Lady Whistledown. And because a ball isn’t a ball without music, a live performance by the Hartford Symphony Orchestra string quartet playing songs from the show.
One couple that came from their country estate in Portland was Eloise and her husband. Lady Eloise had the good fortune of the ball falling squarely on her birthday, so she celebrated in style, decked out in a wonderful pink dress and matching rococo wig that would have been the talk of Queen Charlotte’s court.
Of course, her loyal husband of 10 years stood beside her in matching attire, despite never seeing an episode of the show (a common affliction amongst the gentlemen). Such are the duties of a lord, but he has a fan in Eloise, who called him the “best husband ever.”
Eloise enjoys designing clothing, and loves the ornate detailing of the fashion from the era, describing it as “stupidly decadent." I asked her if she would have liked to live in that time period, and she answered with an emphatic no.
“0%. I just really like to play dressup,” she said with a laugh.
But there were others who were there to celebrate the true meaning of Bridgerton: endless gossip, intrigue and sex. Mother and daughter duo Tennille and Zoey fashion themselves as Portia and Penelope Featherington respectively.
“We love a scandal,” Tennille said. “Who’s in who’s garden? Spill all the tea.
The ladies were carrying a card with them. It was a replica of the dance card used at the balls on the show. Each card had eight empty slots that potential suitors had to write their names on for the chance to dance with the ladies.
“My challenge is to get twice as many people to sign my card,” she said.
It was a wonderful evening of make-believe. I was genuinely surprised by how many people continued to pour onto Pratt Street as the evening progressed. That’s thanks to the vision of Shonda Rhimes in creating "Bridgerton" in the first place, and insisting on a multicultural, multiracial cast.
That decision made it so that people of all backgrounds could see themselves in beautiful clothing, speaking formally and being treated with honor and respect. It’s hard to imagine yourself doing something until you see it. "Bridgerton "pumped the imaginations of so many people; they came out to Pratt Street to celebrate the show and each other.
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