Everyone will be dressed in all white. And when they arrive at a still undisclosed location they will look to connect with others wearing all white. And once they find each other, they’ll be in for an epic French-inspired urban picnic.
General admission registration opens July 7 for the Aug. 1 Dîner en Blanc, a one-day event that pairs music, wine, people dressed in white, chic attire and food curated by a James Beard Award-Winning chef. Tickets range from $65 to $80 per person.
The one-day event is expected to attract about 1,500 people who will be driven in from several departure points to the secret location where they will proceed to look for each other and find the picnic site. It’s all designed to bring food lovers, cultural enthusiasts and fashionistas together in secret.
“You show up at a secret location and you will find your people because everyone will be dressed in white,”, said Monica Castaneda, a spokesperson for Dîner en Blanc.
But it really isn’t much of a secret since Dîner en Blanc is a global event held in more than 120 cities across six continents, with 33 events in the U.S. this year. It all started in 1988 in Paris with a single event meant to just be a picnic among friends and to find each other they all wore white.
“It kind of just started a thing. They started doing it once a month and it turned into this global event,” she said.
Locally it’s been held at places including the Music Center and Rodeo Drive.
“I think people love the event because it’s a sense of community. Each city has its own vibe and part of the event is showcasing the city,” Castaneda said.
Besides the attire, those who attend can bring their own picnic food, a small table, white chairs, a white tablecloth, and two white napkins. For those who don’t want to go shopping they can pick a departure point where tables and chairs are available.
“Everything happens when the event is live. So guests arrive, they get taken to their areas, they set up their tables and then we have a signature napkin wave when everyone is seated,” Castaneda said.
And for people who want an all-inclusive experience they can choose to get a pre-ordered picnic basket prepared by James Beard Award-Winning Chef Todd English. It all ends with a DJ led dance party.
“The last hour and a half it’s a party atmosphere,” she said.
For more information go to losangeles.dinerenblanc.com/city