| Formation | 1817 |
|---|---|
| Location |
|
The Savannah Cotillion Club (also known as the Savannah Cotillion Society) is a formal dance society based in Savannah, Georgia. Its annual Christmas Cotillion, first held in 1817, [1] it is the oldest debutante ball in the United States. [2] [3] It takes place a few days before Christmas. [4]
Venues for the ball have included the Westin Savannah Harbor Hotel's grand ballroom. [5] From around 2015, it has taken place at Savannah's Marriott Riverfront hotel at the eastern end of Bay Street. The build-up to the ball takes several months, including private parties, receptions, dress fittings, and photograph portraits. [4]
The event is recreated in John Berendt's 1994 novel Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and 1997 movie adaptation, [4] with The Lady Chablis gatecrashing the dance.