Mark your calendars now. On Saturday, August 24 from 6 – 10 p.m., Washington, D.C. will host the sixth annual Le Dîner en Blanc. The yearly extravaganza, where guests don all white, promises another evening of dining and excitement. The “pop up” picnic is held at a secret public location, revealed only minutes prior to the commence of the event. Last year, Le Dîner en Blanc – Washington sold out in minutes to 5,000 guests.
Over the course of the evening, 5,000 guests will once again dine and celebrate the sixth anniversary of Le Dîner en Blanc – Washington. The evening’s festivities include live music, entertainment and dancing. Each year, guests bring their all-white tables, chairs and table settings. The truly ambitious create their own French picnics with extravagant, inventive tablescapes. For those looking for a more convenient option, attendees can rent a table and chairs from Rentals to Remember.
The Event
The evening is marked with Le Dîner en Blanc traditions like the waving of the napkin to signify the beginning of dinner. To conclude the meal, the lighting of sparklers serves to gnite the dance floor. At the end of the evening, guests pack up all of their belongings, pick up all their litter, and head into the night, leaving behind no sign of their elegant revelry. For out-of-town guests or those looking to turn the evening into a staycation, Dîner en Blanc – Washington has partnered with the Sofitel.
“We are thrilled and incredibly proud to bring Le Dîner en Blanc back to Washington for its sixth year,” says Linda Davis, Dîner en Blanc co-host and principal of The Davis Group. “Every year we have one common goal – to bring people together at a secret location to share a gourmet meal.”
Attendance
Registration for the unique experience happens in three stages beginning later next month. Phase 1 is for members who attended the previous year. Phase 2 is for new members who have been sponsored by Phase 1 attendees; and Phase 3 is for guests who signed up on the waiting list. Those interested can sign up at washington.dinerenblanc.com/register.
For the past five years, our nation’s capital has hosted the white-linen affair at several landmark locations including Yards Park, Carnegie Library, Henry Bacon Park, Pennsylvania Avenue, and Nationals Park. The Davis Group plans to improve the 2019 guest experience by limiting the restrictions and security of last year’s event.
“At last year’s Dîner en Blanc at Nationals Park, we did not anticipate the strict security check-ins, in-field capacity restrictions and long periods of detainment our guests experienced while entering the stadium,” says Davis. “We apologize and want our guests to know that last year’s event did not reflect the many months of planning. We are dedicated to ensure that our guests’ experience is always at the forefront of our vision and that DC continues to celebrate one of the most unique dinner parties the world has ever seen.”
About Le Dîner en Blanc
In June 2018, Le Diner en Blanc de Paris marked its 30th anniversary. A record 17,000 guests from Paris and around the world gathered at the Esplanade des Invalides to celebrate this historic moment. Launched in Paris in 1988 by François Pasquier and a handful of friends, Le Dîner en Blanc has become a worldwide epicurean phenomenon. What was a “friends and word-of-mouth only” event has grown into an international sensation celebrated on six continents. While the technology behind the event may have changed over the years, the principles fuelling this fantastic event have not: guests continue to gather at a secret location for the sole purpose of sharing a gourmet meal with good friends in one of their city’s most beautiful public spaces.
