For those that enjoy eating outside under the summer sunset but not so much the ratty attire many diners don in 30°C temperatures, Diner en Blanc is back for a second year—and this time it’s an official event.
The premise essentially involves hundreds of participants dressing head-to-toe in their finest whites (P Diddy’s White Party attire in effect) and bringing their own food, plates, cutlery, etc. to a secret location for a big potluck. Last year, an unofficial dinner was held at The Distillery District (yep, there’s a list of official participating countries) and, this year, the first official dinner will take place on Aug. 9 at 7:30 p.m. Participants will be told to meet in groups at various places an hour before they are given the location to the picnic spot.
To be one of the 1,400* diners at this year’s event, you’ll have to get on the waiting list, as members from previous dinners and “close friends of the organization” get first dibs. (Considering all the planning—what with the outfits and all—you can’t really call this a flash mob.)
Some of the rules:
-Guests must register in tables of two ($25-$33* per person, depending on whether it’s a walk-in or bus-in ticket)
-Guests must bring their own folding tables, white chairs, linen, plates, flatware, and glasses (no plastic)
-Guests can bring their own food, or buy a meal from the organizers
-Wine and Champagne only. No hard liquor or beer.
-Table decor like candles and flowers are encouraged.
Like all cool things—Nuit Blanche, macaroons, magical Dorian Gray cantaloupes—Diner en Blanc originated in Paris before the rest of the world caught on.
UPDATE, JULY 11, 2012, 5 P.M.: The organizers of Diner en Blanc have updated their pricing and capacity information since this article was first published; the information has been updated here.
