Dîner en Blanc, the elegant flash mob feast, is set to take place in Chicago for the second year in a row, but this will be the first official all white feast. On August 24, a thousand people are expected to gather at a secret iconic location in Chi-town for the viral event.
Le Dîner en Blanc is an al fresco dinner party that is organized through word of mouth and social media. The location is never revealed until the day of the event. Invited guests are given certain meeting points, where they'll arrive at 7pm and then they'll be led to the secret dining location.
The event takes on the flash mob idea, but instead of a dance, it's an organized dinner in a public spot. Guests must wear all white and bring their own white tables and chairs and even food. The tables are decorated with candelabras, candles and giant flower arrangements while guests eat off of fine china and polished silverware and drink from crystal glasses during this elegant dinner.
The Dîner en Blanc was started in Paris by a group of friends in 1988. Now, Paris' Dîner en Blanc brings in 15,000 people. It has been hosted at landmark spots like the Eiffel Tower site, the Château de Versailles, by the Louvre Pyramid and more.
The event, which is held in over 20 cities across five continents, first came to America in 2011 in New York City. This year, the event will be held in nine U.S. cities. On Aug. 20, New York's second Dîner en Blanc was held at Lincoln Center and was attended by over 3,000 guests.
Now, Chicago will have its first official white picnic. The event was held last year as well, but this year the event is affiliated with the official Diner en Blanc International Inc. The guest list is limited to 1,500 people, but around 1,000 are expected to attend.
The event costs $40 per couple. Some tables, chairs and linens will be provided to guests at the top secret venue of a first come first serve basis, but others will have to rent the supplies for a fee. Some will bring their own epicurean feast, but guests are also given the option of purchasing gourmet picnic baskets, specially paired with wines, created by world-renowned Chef Tony Mantuano of Spiaggia. These picnic baskets ranging from $45 to $90, include things like cheese selections, charcuterie, salads, fresh breads, cookies and sambuca-spiked watermelon and more.
This particular event is not BYOB like some others around the country and world. Guests can bring their own meal, but alcohol must be purchased beforehand from the group's online store and it will be waiting for guests at the secret venue.
For more information, check out the official site https://chicago.dinerenblanc.info/
Last year's Dîner en Blanc in Chicago was hosted by an unofficial group. The group, Chicago in White will hold their own similar event on Saturday, August 25. The event is not associated with the official Dîner en Blanc International, but tickets are sold out, so it is expected to be a success.
So far, the feasts have taken place in Philadelphia, New York, Paris, Lyon, Amsterdam, Munich, Zürich, Berlin, Toronto, Quebec, Milano, and Montreal. Several other cities across the United States and the world will hold their feasts all the way to November.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
