Romantic Regency Afternoon
Detroit Public Library, main branch
Detroit
May 10, 2026
Surprising to many, I am not an active member of the Jane Austen/“Bridgerton” fandoms, but I certainly enjoy the outfits and was excited to attend Detroit Public Library’s Romantic Regency Afternoon. Back for its second year, the free event was a celebration of English Regency culture with period dancing, refreshments, crafts and photo ops.
The event took place on Detroit Public Library’s third floor, featuring its grand, muraled Adam Strohm Hall, in and of itself worth a trip. Dozens – likely over 100 – people filled the space, chatting over pastry, in line for the photo booth or while making their own fans before the dancing began.
The sea of fancy dresses in the majority-female event was a highlight, with various levels of extravagance and period accuracy. Many donned the slim, puffy-sleeved, empire-waisted dresses of the early 1800s, matched with curlicued buns and tiaras. Others wore Renaissance-era crinolined ballgowns, long bridesmaid gowns or simple tea dresses. I was thrilled for the opportunity to debut a modern, Regency-inspired jacquard dress with long puffed sleeves and an empire waist I’d picked up last fall. The handful of men did not disappoint, sporting a range of formal wear that varied from simple suits to period costumes.
The main event was the period dancing, which I had been looking forward to. Unfortunately, as much as I loved the grand setting of Adam Strohm Hall, the acoustics made it nearly impossible to understand the instructor, and we mostly flubbed our way through the process. Most people enjoyed the dancing anyway. As someone who genuinely wants to learn period dances and lost a partner halfway through, it was a bit too frustrating for me. I don’t know how you alter acoustics; having deputy demonstrators spread throughout the room – instead of one distant person with a microphone – would have been helpful. It was still a great opportunity to dance around a pretty space in a pretty dress, but I had more fun learning period dances at the smaller, simpler Twelfth Night Dance at St. Josephine Shrine Church.
As a library function, the event also offered “book tastings,” spreads of Regency-themed books for visitors to peruse or take out, which I found thoughtful.
My favorite part of Romantic Regency Afternoon was simply having an opportunity to dress up and connect with others who share a love of period dress. There’s something special about being immersed in a feminine space. It brought women of all ages together, including a little girl who had gotten a new dress, new shoes and a tiara for the occasion and attended with her mother. It wasn’t a perfect event, but it was a joyful one, and a welcome opportunity to escape to another era.