Originally organized in 1923 as the Raleigh Fall Festival, the formal debutante ball formed in 1927 with the founding of the Terpsichorean Club.
[1] In 1927 the Terpsichorean Club, a secret society named after the Greek muse Terpsichore, was formed to organize and sponsor the first official North Carolina Debutante Ball.
[2] The annual ball was set to be held on the first weekend after Labor Day at the Raleigh Civic Center.
The women are selected from families who have made economic, social, cultural, or civic contributions to North Carolina.
[11] The formal presentation of debutantes takes place at Meymandi Concert Hall in the Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Raleigh and the ball is held at Carolina Country Club.