Dîner en Blanc

As I attempt to write this post, I find myself a bit speechless as I think I have made the discovery of pretty much the coolest thing EVER. It’s called dîner en blanc, and it’s another amazing event the French have cooked up. It’s been happening every June for the past 20 some odd years and the location remains a secret until the very last minute when everyone shows up (this year it was at Place de la Concorde) wearing their best whites with a picnic dinner. Check out the two videos below, and pictures on flickr and it’s practically like you’re there. . . By the way, if anyone knows how I can get on this invitation list please do let me know!
{top photo by parisdailyphoto & don’t miss his photo slideshow here}


Thanks to Polly of Polly-Vous Francais (who I was lucky enough to meet in Baltimore yesterday) for posting about the event!

18 comments

  • jen laceda

    June 25, 2009 at 3:07 pm // Reply

    Fantastic! It’s like a rave, but grown-up style where you don’t know where the party would be! I’d love to participate in something like this. We should start one in our respective cities!

  • Margaret Gabriela

    June 25, 2009 at 5:10 pm // Reply

    I was just thinking about how I would need to take a trip to Paris in 2010… maybe this could be coordinated ;)

    Or I like the aformentioned idea of doing this in my hometown as well… Guerilla partying!

  • FROM THE RIGHT BANK

    June 26, 2009 at 3:46 am // Reply

    I tried swinging an invitation to this when I lived there but didn’t succeed. Like you said though it’s got to be easier to get the scoop nowadays with Twitter, etc. There are always such amazing photos that come out of this!

  • ginparis

    June 26, 2009 at 12:21 pm // Reply

    hi,

    thanks for posting the links to my videos on YouTube!

    I’ve been lucky enough to receive an invitation two years in a row. The group I’ve come with the past two years comes into Paris from the suburbs on buses. It has to be organized way in advance. We don’t know where we’re going that night until we are actually in the bus. Also, if you invite someone to be on that bus the person (couple, actually, no individual invitations) MUST be there on the bus. It would throw quite a monkey wrench into the plan if someone didn’t show up. All the seating is arranged prior to the event so that you know exactly where you will sit. I think this is why the event is so successful because it’s all done by relationship.

  • Stéphanie

    June 26, 2009 at 3:57 pm // Reply

    I just read your post, arriving throuht sfgirlbybay…

    The only way to get invited is to know someone who is going there… but it is pretty easy!

    The one in Invalides was beautiful !!

    :-)

  • Tricia

    June 27, 2009 at 12:53 am // Reply

    That is so neat! I love to see other culture’s surprise food events, I want to do one here! Hope all is well with you! all the
    best, t

  • stephmodo

    June 28, 2009 at 1:21 am // Reply

    Oh my…this is FABULOUS! I’d love to plan a trip to Paris around this special event. How fun. How different!

    P.S. We’d love to share some image with you on Design Sponge as you mentioned in a comment on my blog. Let me know what you need! Would you like to wait until it is furnished?

  • theeclecticlife

    March 22, 2011 at 5:04 pm // Reply

    oh my goodness. i’m literally flabbergasted. what an incredible event to be a part of! i’m putting on my life list of things to do and will be praying for an invitation! the creativity some people have really astonishes me! love it.

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