Diner En Blanc Chicago 2018-7th Edition

August 29, 2018

Last Thursday, August 23rd diners all dressed in white made their way to a secret location to celebrate a 7 year tradition here in Chicago which originated in Paris 30 years ago! It was as usual a fabulous evening, from the food, table decor, attire and entertainment. This sold out event is a NOT to be missed event!

Let’s break the event down by the numbers:

1 night
1 secret location revealed at the last minute: Siegel Field
Almost 4,000 guests
10,000 people on the waitlist
3,840 sparklers used
1,700 bottles of wine consumed
17-piece jazz band
16 departure points throughout the city
95 Dîner en Blanc volunteers
7 years in the Windy City
1 surprise wedding

The table settings were HUGE this year see below for a few pics of some of my faves from the event

On June 3rd, Le Dîner en Blanc de Paris marked its 30th anniversary! A record 17,000 guests from Paris and around the world gathered at the Esplanade des Invalides to celebrate this historic moment. Since its Parisian beginning, Le Dîner en Blanc has become a global phenomenon and taken over close to 80 cities around the world such as New York, Miami, Sydney, Los Angeles, Singapore, Buenos Aires, Mexico City, London, Montreal, Hong Kong, and Nairobi.

Le Dîner en Blanc – Chicago gratefully acknowledges Louis Glunz Wines, featuring Union Wine Company, Dry Creek Vineyard, and Poderi Gianni Gagliardo as the local partners as well as Luxury Retreats, Sofitel and ONEHOPE as the 2018 Le Dîner en Blanc US national partners.

Nearly 30 years ago in Paris…

Launched with just a handful of friends by François Pasquier nearly 30 years ago, Le Dîner en Blanc^®de Paris now assembles over 10,000 guest every year, with a record 15,000 people attending the 25^thanniversary in 2013. The French capital’s most prestigious sites have played host the event over the years: The Pont des Arts, the Eiffel Tower, Place Vendôme, the Château de Versailles, the Esplanade de Notre-Dame, the Esplanade des Invalides, the periphery of the Place de l’Étoile, the Champs-Élysées, Place de la Concorde, Le Louvre Pyramid, Trocadéro Esplanade, and the Palais Royal Garden! The Paris police continue to tolerate this ‘wild’ gathering, if not perhaps even wishing they could join in!

Le Dîner en Blanc^®began as a strictly word-of-mouth event. Today, it has grown to rely on the Internet and social media to communicate with its members and others who are curious about the event. Although the technology behind this fantastic event may have changed over the years, the principles fueling it have not; guests continue to gather at a secret location with the sole purpose of sharing a gourmet meal with good friends at the heart of one of their city’s most beautiful locations.

What are the key rules of the event?

Le Dîner en Blanc^® is quite different from other special events. The evening takes place in a crowded public place that was not designed for such a purpose. Dîner en Blanc must necessarily remain controlled in order to continue holding future events.

In order to participate, guests must be a member or be sponsored by a member from the previous year, or they must sign up to official website’s waiting list.
Once confirmed, each guests’ participation in the event becomes mandatory, regardless of weather conditions, as Dîner en Blanc is a rain or shine event.
Participants arrive and then depart in unison by chartered bus or organized public transportation.
They take all of their belongings with them at the end of the night, including leftovers and trash, and they leave the site as clean as it was upon arrival.

Must-bring items?

A table and two white chairs.
A picnic basket including a white tablecloth and napkins, gourmet meal items, cutlery, dishware, and glassware.
Wine or Champagne, if allowed. Beer and hard alcohol is prohibited.

Dress Code