15 Photos
Pennsylvania Avenue was shut down for the fourth outing of the famous Dîner en Blanc DC. 4,500 people all clad in their finest white outfits trekked the streets of Washington to enjoy a pop up dinner party right on the street in front of the Capital.
It was organized chaos but the attendees seemed to take it in stride as they carted their dinners with elegant tablescapes along with their tables and chairs to the “secret” destination. The invitation only event was the hottest ticket in town with many trying to finagle an entry to the sold out event.
The pop up dinner party began with guests meeting at several locations throughout the city. Once at their meeting places, they traveled in groups via Metro and on foot to Pennsylvania Avenue where they set up dinner with the Capital as an incredible backdrop. Once there, they waited for the “waving of the napkins” which signaled that dinner was to start.
Champagne Jacquart was the official champagne for Dîner en Blanc DC. providing guests with the perfect celebratory cocktail. Michael Isabella, one of DC’s favorite local chefs, provided pre-packaged meals for those who did not want to prepare their own dinners. The celebration continued as attendees lit their sparklers, which opened the dance floor.
Once some people found out there were going they set out to create the perfect and elegant dining al fresco experience. Pedestrian leader, Tim Douglas took this charge very seriously. He and his group of 8 couples met several times prior to Dîner en Blanc DC to discuss decorations. The result was a well coordinated and over the top table display compete with matching attire for every member of the group.
Dîner en Blanc started over 30 years ago in Paris and has become a worldwide phenomenon. The event is now held in well over 70 cities. Each sticking to the elaborate rules specifying dress, what to bring and maintaining the secret location until just moments before the event starts.
