Le Dîner en Blanc—the annual event that sees thousands of Washingtonians gather white folding tables, white folding chairs, white tablecloths, and picnic dinners, with no idea where to go until the last minute—returns to DC Saturday, September 21.
Every year, devotees dress in head-to-toe white, and pack up their own picnic gear, which also includes white plates, tableware, and wine or champagne (no beer or hard liquor allowed). Then, they show up to a secret location somewhere in the city to eat, dance with strangers, and listen to guitarists, violinists, and DJs. At the end of the night, the revelers pack up their belongings and leave no trace.
The eccentric tradition, which started with a 1988 party in the Bois de Boulogne in Paris, has taken off in the Instagram era— it’s now cropped up in more than 120 cities across six continents. It’s been a hit in DC, with roughly 5,000 people expected to descend on that TBD location this year.
In the past, the pop-up, hosted by the Davis Group and Events DC, has sprung up at the Navy Yard, at Freedom Plaza, in the middle of Pennsylvania Avenue. Last year, it took place near the Lincoln Memorial. But participants never know where they’ll congregate until the morning of the dinner, by tradition. Even then, they meet at a preordained point before being led to the final dinner destination by a volunteer.
Want to join the crowd? Last year’s attendees and their friends get first dibs, and there’s a waitlist for new diners. Registration opens July 25.
