Alexandria, VA – You’ve seen the pictures and wondered how you could be part of Diner en Blanc (Dinner in White)? Well, get your white napkins ready, because Le Diner en Blanc is back after a one-year pandemic pause. On Saturday, August 21 from 6 – 10 p.m., Washington, D.C. will host its seventh Le Diner en Blanc — the yearly spectacular that welcomes guests to don white attire from head to toe for a magical evening of dining and entertainment at an iconic DC location. In 2019, Le Diner en Blanc – Washington was held at Freedom Plaza and sold out in record time. Le Diner en Blanc – Washington will follow all recommendations of DC Government Health & Safety protocol on COVID-19. The festive and community feel of this long-standing French picnic tradition will not change.
Registration for the unique experience happens in three stages. Phase 1 is for members who attended the previous year; Phase 2 is for new members who have been sponsored by Phase 1 attendees; and Phase 3 is for guests who signed up on the waiting list. To get the opportunity to be part of the experience, people can sign up now by visiting the official website at washington.dinerenblanc.com and clicking on Register tab.
In true Le Diner en Blanc fashion, over the course of the evening more than 4,500 guests will participate in dining, socializing, and celebrating amid live music, entertainment, and dancing. Each year, guests arrive with their all-white tables, chairs, and table settings. The truly ambitious create elaborate French picnics with extravagant, inventive tablescapes and pageantry, but for those looking for a more convenient option, attendees can rent a table and chair set from Rentals to Remember.
Produced annually by The Davis Group, an Annapolis-based event management and production company, Le Diner en Blanc – Washington 2021 will also feature some additional unexpected surprises, performances, installations, and festivities throughout the evening.
“This year more than ever, we are ecstatic to bring back and resume Le Diner en Blanc to Washington for its seventh edition and as an annual occasion going forward” says Linda Davis, co-host and principal of The Davis Group. “Washingtonians and visitors alike are ready to gather once again and celebrate life with the common goal of sharing a gourmet meal, reacquainting with old and new friends alike. With everyone dressed in white, the event is the most beautiful spectacle Washington experiences.”
In addition to the recognizable all-white wardrobe, the legendary evening is marked with Le Diner en Blanc traditions like the napkin wave to signify the beginning of dinner, and the lighting of sparklers to conclude the meal and ignite the dance floor. At the end of the evening, guests pack up their table settings, belongings, and rubbish and head into the night leaving behind no sign of their elegant revelry.
“This chic and elegant affair seems perfect to encourage guests to shop local and bring to the event their local flavor,” Davis said.
From 2014-2019, our nation’s capital has hosted the white-linen affair at several landmark locations including Yards Park, Carnegie Library, Henry Bacon Park, Pennsylvania Avenue, Nationals Park, and Freedom Plaza next to the White House. In 2020, Le Diner en Blanc – Washington took a one-year hiatus due to COVID-19.
Le Diner en Blanc – Washington DC gratefully acknowledges LifeWTR and YOTELWashington DC as official local partners. As partner of the 2021 event, YOTEL Washington DC hotel is exclusively providing discounted overnight stays. These special weekend packages will include discounted accommodations at YOTEL Washington DC for out-of-town guests or those looking to turn the evening into a staycation. An afterparty for all guests is scheduled at Deck 11, the hotel’s new rooftop pool and lounge, immediately after the dinner.
To keep up to date on event announcements, visit washington.dinerenblanc.com or
About Le Diner en Blanc – Washington Hosts
Le Diner en Blanc – Washington, D.C. is produced by The Davis Group, LLC, a full-service event design and production company based in the Washington, DC area. Linda Davis, along with daughters Bryer and Kaitlin have brought together nearly 20,000 people to celebrate Le Diner en Blanc in Washington.
About Le Diner en Blanc
Over the years, Le Diner en Blanc has become a worldwide epicurean phenomenon. What was a ‘friends and word-of-mouth only’ event has grown into an international sensation celebrated on six continents. Launched in Paris in 1988 by Francois Pasquier and a handful of friends, Le Diner en Blanc de Paris marked its 30th anniversary in 2018 with a record 17,000 guests from Paris and around the world. While the technology behind the event may have changed over the years, the principle fuelling this fantastic event has not: guests dressed in all white continue to gather at a secret location for the sole purpose of sharing a gourmet meal with good friends in one of their city’s most beautiful public spaces. Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Montreal, Canada, Diner en Blanc International is responsible for developing this secret posh picnic in over 80 cities in 30 countries around the world. Each event is headed by passionate local organizers who fell in love with the concept and wanted to bring it to their city, giving this rendezvous a local flair. For more info, photos, and videos of Diner en Blanc events from around the world, visit dinerenblanc.com.
