Perhaps one of the most exciting public social gatherings I have ever been a part of.
When I first found out about the Sydney Dîner en Blanc, I knew I wanted to be part of this magic. I stalked the page for any details I could find on the events around the globe and was stoked when they eventually released a new location with a date that I could make it to. This was my chance to get on the guestlist somehow, given that the first phase of registrations always goes to members and their guests, we had to register our interest and see if we get lucky. Membership was exclusive to each location too, so getting on the Canberra list didn't mean I get on Sydney's at all.
Well, what's Dîner en Blanc? It's hard to explain in one sentence because it has so many elements to it. Here's my take: it's a flash mob pop-up picnic in a secret location revealed to five different groups of people coming in together from different pick up points, dressed in the same dress code so that you can recognise each other. They setup, they eat, they drink, they dance and then they leave, as if they were never there at all.
How's that?
Attire:
• WHITE…WHITE only!
• ELEGANT… indeed very elegant!
• ORIGINALITY is always welcomed
Attire that Is NOT permitted:
• No t-shirts and sport tops
• No colored sport shoes
• No baseball caps
• No shorts
Dressing all in white can be daunting, and some people might think, pretentious, but its magical and if you had enough friends doing it together, it's really fun to be part of the secret!
• Bring a square folding table (60-90cm), two white folding chairs, a white tablecloth, a picnic basket with non-disposable utensils and plates, as well as, delicious food. Please no paper or plastic (except wine glasses. Wine glasses must be made of plastic material)
The forum set up for members was really helpful to help source these things. You could tell it took commitment and passion from all the members who just want to help each other get the themes right. Bringing along some strong guys is a great idea to help move things to and fro, but ultimately, you could get smart and use trolleys and shopping carts and you'd still be able to get there.
So what happens?
Evening Timeline - Dîner en Blanc Canberra
Date: Saturday 2 Mar 2013
5.30-6.00pm Guests arrive at designated departure point
6:30pm Guests arrive at secret location
6:30-7.00pm Guest set up (objective - 30 minutes table set up + hamper collection)
7.15 pm White serviette waving to signify the start of the event
7.15-9.00pm Dining commences, guests enjoy their dinner
9.00 – 10.00pm Guests enjoy dancing, drinking, general frivolity and merriment. There was a DJ provided for the evening.
10.00-10.30pm Guests pack up, clean up, dispose of refuse at the allocated area.
10.00-10.30pm Hire equipment dropped at collection point
10.30pm Guests continue on to the after party and buses depart transporting guests back to their departure points
The hired DJ was awesome! We grooved to strains of Dancing Queen, Love Shack, Gangnam Style and Prince amongst other cool tunes. Ending it with the Nutbush was wicked and it was the perfect close to a great night out. Like I said, one of the most exciting public social gatherings I have ever been a part of.
And here's the official video for the event:
