photo by Eric Vitale
From a press release:
“A date is set for the iconic Parisian-inspired urban picnic characterized by its famous all-white dress code. On Saturday,September 21 from 6 – 10 p.m., Le Diner en Blanc – Washington will again descend upon a surprise DC location that welcomes thousands of guests who don their whitest of whites for a magical evening of dining, socializing, and celebrating amid music, entertainment, and dancing.
The new late-September date was selected in response to numerous guest requests who enjoy the cooler, early-fall season in our nation’s capital. The event is hosted and produced locally by The Davis Group, an event management and production company based in the Washington area. Events DC joins the fête this year as a new partner.
With their all-white tables, chairs, and table settings in tow, more than 4,000 guests for the chic white-linen affair arrive at the newly revealed site to set up their al fresco spread for a fanciful night. The truly ambitious create elaborate French picnics with extravagant, inventive tablescapes and pageantry. High fashion is also a huge component while many guests dress in decorative headdresses, ball gowns, white dinner jackets, and top hats amidst the many landmarks of DC as a backdrop for photo-ops. The legendary evening is steeped in Le Dîner en Blanc traditions like the napkin wave to signify the beginning of dinner, and the lighting of sparklers to conclude the culinary feast.
Le Diner en Blanc’s long-standing French picnic ritual will not change this year and will bring back its authentic customs that originated in Paris 36 years ago. A cadre of individual musicians and artists including guitarists, violinists, and oil painters, will again canvas the outdoor venue and perform one-on-one, table-to-table throughout the night. New entertainment this year will include stage artists performing musical numbers and a DJ will kick off the dance party as the night unfolds.
According to Linda Davis, president of The Davis Group and co-producer of Le Diner en Blanc-Washington, this year’s celebration will feature some added, unexpected surprises, performances, installations, and festivities.
“We try to change things up each year to make Le Diner in Blanc fresh for returning guests while keeping the essence of the true French picnic as the core of this iconic event. This event has become the urban picnic of the year in Washington, DC that features a social gathering where fashion, good food, and most importantly good company meet. Getting all dressed up to attend a dinner à la française where conversation and champagne are essential while the sea of people all adorned inwhite creates images that are instantly Instagram-able.”
Registration for the unique experience happens in three stages. Phase 1 is for members who attended the previous year and can sign up on July 18. Phase 2 is for members who have been sponsored by Phase 1 attendees and will begin on July 23. Phase 3 is for guests who signed up on the Fan List. That register opens on July 25. To be part of the opportunity to experience Le Diner en Blanc, people can enroll now by visiting the official website at washington.dinerenblanc.com and clicking on the Register tab.
To maintain the uniqueness of Le Diner en Blanc, every guest has a part to play and everyone observes the “En Blanc” requirements such as:
Dress code: head-to-toe in white only. Elegance and originality are key!
Table setting: all white!
To ensure that the location secret is kept undisclosed until the last minute, guests meet at the assigned departure location and are escorted by a Diner en Blanc volunteer.
Out of respect for our beautiful location, guests are required to leave with all their belongings.
Guests are to bring:
A small square table, two white chairs, white tablecloth (table and chair rental options are available).
A picnic basket comprising fine food, white dinnerware and stemware.
A catered picnic basket option, which can be ordered and picked up beforehand, will be available for those who do not wish to pack their own.
The gourmet food partners will be announced soon.
Bring your own wine and/or Champagne is welcome.
Guests wishing to enjoy some wine or Champagne, must bring their own bottles. No beer or hard alcohol is allowed.
At the end of the evening when the entertainment and dancing convenes, guests pack up their table settings, belongings, and head into the night leaving behind no sign of their elegant revelry.”