Get your white napkins ready DC, because Le Dîner en Blanc is back after a one-year pandemic pause. On Saturday, August 21 from 6 – 10 p.m., Washington, D.C. will host its seventh Le Dîner en Blanc. The yearly spectacular welcomes guests to don white attire from head to toe for a magical evening of dining and entertainment at an iconic DC location. In 2019, Le Dîner en Blanc – Washington was held at Freedom Plaza and sold out in record time. Le Diner en Blanc – Washington will follow all recommendations of DC Government Health & Safety protocol on COVID-19. The festive and community feel of this long-standing French picnic tradition will not change.
Registration for the unique experience happens in three stages. 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. To get the opportunity to be part of the experience, people can sign up now by visiting the official website at washington.dinerenblanc.com and clicking on Register tab.
In true Le Dîner en Blanc fashion, more than 4,500 guests will participate in dining, socializing, and celebrating amid live music, entertainment, and dancing. Each year, guests arrive with their all-white tables, chairs, and table settings. The truly ambitious create elaborate French picnics with extravagant, inventive tablescapes and pageantry. Those looking for a more convenient option, attendees can rent a table and chair set from Rentals to Remember.
Produced annually by The Davis Group, Le Dîner en Blanc – Washington 2021 will also feature some additional unexpected surprises, performances, installations, and festivities throughout the evening.
“This year more than ever, we are ecstatic to bring back and resume Le Dîner en Blanc to Washington for its seventh edition and as an annual occasion going forward,” says Linda Davis, co-host and principal of The Davis Group. “Washingtonians and visitors alike are ready to gather once again and celebrate life with the common goal of sharing a gourmet meal, reacquainting with old and new friends alike. With everyone dressed in white, the event is the most beautiful spectacle Washington experiences.”
In addition to the recognizable all-white wardrobe, the evening is marked with traditions like the napkin wave to signify the beginning of dinner, and the lighting of sparklers to conclude the meal. This also ignites the dance floor. At the end of the evening, guests pack up their table settings, belongings, and rubbish and head into the night leaving behind no sign of their elegant revelry.
“This chic and elegant affair seems perfect to encourage guests to shop local and bring to the event their local flavor,” Davis said.
From 2014-2019, our nation’s capital has hosted the white-linen affair at several landmark locations . These include Yards Park, Carnegie Library, Henry Bacon Park, Pennsylvania Avenue, Nationals Park, and Freedom Plaza next to the White House. In 2020, Le Dîner en Blanc – Washington took a one-year hiatus due to COVID-19.
YOTEL Washington DC is one of the event’s official local partners and as partner is exclusively providing discounted overnight stays. These special weekend packages will include discounted accommodations at YOTEL Washington DC for out-of-town guests. It’s also a great option for those looking to turn the evening into a staycation. An afterparty for all guests is scheduled at the hotel’s roofftop, Deck 11, immediately after the dinner.
