Participation is by invitation, or via the waiting list set up for Dîner en Blanc, a world-famous alfresco picnic, where all guests are required to wear head-to-toe white. But these are not the only stipulations for successful applicants.
After confirmation, participation is mandatory even under less-than-perfect weather conditions. Light rain forecasted for the same day? You should still head there. Guests are also asked to bring a table for two with chairs and a tablecloth – all white, of course.
Then there is the foodstuff and accessories. Everybody should appear with their own picnic basket (you know the colour by now), homemade food, and wine or champagne, but no beer or spirits. To keep the location top secret, invited gastronomes gather at a designated meeting point, where the final venue for the dinner is revealed.
Dîner en Blanc started as a private event 30 years ago, organised by Frenchman François Pasquier. What was supposed to be a one-time garden party is now a global attraction involving 80 cities in 30 countries and more than 130,000 visitors worldwide. The rules of the party have remained the same over three decades.
The schedule of this plush picnic includes handkerchief waving, sparkler lighting, a dance and a trumpet call at the end. In order to keep the event space clean, everyone commits to collect their own litter and take the leftovers with them.
Participation is by invitation. In the first round, those who have attended a previous Dîner en Blanc are sent the chance to register. In the second phase, these invitees can include further guests on the list. Further information is available on the Dîner en Blanc website and Facebook page.
