Dîner en Blanc the Philly way

Last Thursday, August 23 a mini invasion happened in Philly. At 6:30 p.m. groups of people dressed all in white, carrying square folding tables and chairs, and picnic baskets could be seen gathering at locations around the city.

The trek to the secret location starts — White-clad guest just found out about the official location and are making their way there.

They were waiting to be told the official (and previously secret) spot for this highly anticipated event – Dîner en Blanc, which was hosted at the Swann Memorial Fountain at Logan Circle, created by sculptor Alexander Stirling Calder in 1924.

Dîner en Blanc guests arriving — Participants arriving at Dîner en Blanc.

As guests arrived at the location, which provided great views of City Hall, The Art Museum, The Franklin Institute, The Academy of Natural Sciences, and The Philadelphia Public Library, their table hosts instructed them where to set up their picnic tables.

a picnic table awaits — A picnic table awaits.

picnic baskets by Garces Catering — Picnic baskets by Garces Catering for diners who decided not to bring their own.

picnic table decorations — Picnic table decorations. Of course, the wine could not be forgotten.

waving of the white napkins — All 1,300 participants waved white napkins to officially start this Parisian-inspired picnic, which originally began almost 25 years ago.

What would a Parisian-inspired event be without a cheese plate?

bird's eye view of dîner en blanc — A bird’s eye view of Dîner en Blanc.

lighting of the sparklers — The lighting of sparklers signified the “end” of an evening in white.

After the sparklers were lit, the evening wasn’t really over and a dance party in the fountain began. This year’s participants will automatically be invited back to next year’s event, and of course newcomers will be welcomed as well. Just keep an eye out for registration opportunities.

There are still more Dîner en Blancs happening around the world.

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