Dîner en Blanc
{{Short description|International public dining event}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2016}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Dîner en Blanc
| logo =
| image = File:White Diner Paris - Diner en blanc 2012 (7375330096).jpg
| image_caption = Dîner en Blanc
Paris, Place des Vosges (2012)
| foundation = 1988
| founder = François Pasquier
| location_city = Paris, France
| num_locations = 90+ cities
| homepage = [http://www.dinerenblanc.com/ www.dinerenblanc.com]
}}
Dîner en Blanc ("Dinner in White" in French) is a worldwide event spanning six continents in which people dressed in white have a meal in a temporary dining setup in a public space.{{cite web|title=Diner en Blanc - International - About|url=http://international.dinerenblanc.info/about|website=Diner en Blanc|accessdate=August 4, 2015}}{{cite web|title=Diner en Blanc comes to Melbourne|url=http://www.broadsheet.com.au/melbourne/food-and-drink/article/diner-en-blanc-Melbourne|website=Broadsheet|accessdate=4 August 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150907111831/http://www.broadsheet.com.au/melbourne/food-and-drink/article/diner-en-blanc-Melbourne|archive-date=September 7, 2015|url-status=dead}} Diners are required to provide their own food, tables, chairs and tablecloths.{{cite news|last1=Sidman|first1=Jessica|title=Dîner en Blanc is Coming Back—With 500 More Seats|url=https://www.washingtonian.com/2017/06/29/diner-en-blanc-dc-2017/|accessdate=7 July 2017|work=Washingtonian|date=June 29, 2017}} The location of the event is kept secret from the majority of participants until minutes before the event, at which point all attendees generally converge in an iconic urban location.
History
The Dîner en Blanc concept began in Paris in 1988 when François Pasquier invited a group of friends to an elegant outdoor dinner at the Bois de Boulogne, asking them to dress in white so they could find each other.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/06/dining/a-pop-up-paris-picnic-is-coming-to-new-york.html?_r=0|title=How 10,000 People Keep a Secret|first=Leisl|last=Schillinger|date=5 July 2011|newspaper=The New York Times}} The event's presence has grown to over 85 cities, with almost 17,000 gathering for the 30th-anniversary event in Paris.
Pasquier's son, Aymeric, introduced the concept to Montreal, Canada in 2009. In 2011, with the help of Sandy Safi, Aymeric Pasquier hosted the first American Dîner en Blanc in New York City. The event has grown to have an attendance of more than 6,500 with a waiting list of over 80,000 people.{{cite news|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/life/food-wine/diner-en-blanc-trips-the-white-fantastic/story-e6frg8jo-1227105571821|title=Diner en Blanc trips the white fantastic |first=Fred|last=Pawle|date=29 October 2014|newspaper=The Australian|publisher=News Corp}} In 2012, Aymeric Pasquier and Sandy Safi partnered to create [http://international.dinerenblanc.com Dîner en Blanc International Inc]., a Canadian company in charge of developing the Diner en Blanc network and license worldwide.
In 2012, Singapore was the first Asian city to host a Dîner en Blanc,{{citation|url=http://danielfooddiary.com/2012/08/21/diner-en-blanc/|date=21 August 2012|title=Dîner en Blanc is Coming to Singapore! What To Expect & What White Food To Bring|first=Daniel|last=Ang}} and Brisbane the first Australian city.{{cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2015/09/30/diner-en-blanc-brisbane_n_8217536.html|title=Secret Pop Up Picnic Returns To Australia -- First Stop, Brisbane|first=Emily|last=Blatchford|date=30 September 2015|newspaper=The Huffington Post Australia|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151011075142/http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2015/09/30/diner-en-blanc-brisbane_n_8217536.html|archivedate=October 11, 2015 }}{{cite news|url=http://bmag.com.au/eating-and-drinking-in-brisbane/latest/2015/09/03/le-diner-en-blanc-to-enchant-brisbane/|title=Le Diner en Blanc to enchant Brisbane|first=Resa|last=Zekants|date=3 September 2015|newspaper=Bmag|access-date=October 20, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151020041408/http://bmag.com.au/eating-and-drinking-in-brisbane/latest/2015/09/03/le-diner-en-blanc-to-enchant-brisbane/|archive-date=October 20, 2015|url-status=dead}}{{citation|url=http://www.brisbane-australia.com/industrynews/diner-en-blanc-attracts-a-sea-of-white/|first=Nathan|last=Martyn|title=Dîner en Blanc Attracts A Sea Of White|date=3 September 2013}} Canberra held Dîners en Blanc in 2013 and 2014,{{cite news|url=http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/diner-en-blanc-unlikely-to-return-to-canberra-as-government-withdraws-support-20150211-13c1z0.html|newspaper=The Canberra Times|publisher=Fairfax media|title=Diner en Blanc unlikely to return to Canberra as government withdraws support|first=Henry|last=Belot|date=12 February 2015|archivedate=October 20, 2015 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151020033954/http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/diner-en-blanc-unlikely-to-return-to-canberra-as-government-withdraws-support-20150211-13c1z0.html}}{{cite news|url=http://citynews.com.au/2013/in-the-white-mood-for-festival-fun/|title=In the white mood for festival fun|date=3 March 2013|publisher=City News|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130509085143/http://citynews.com.au/2013/in-the-white-mood-for-festival-fun/|archivedate=May 9, 2013 }} and Melbourne debuted the phenomenon in 2015.{{cite news|url=http://www.goodfood.com.au/good-food/food-news/melbournes-first-diner-en-blanc-all-white-on-the-night-20150310-13zyr8.html|title=Melbourne's first Diner en Blanc: all white on the night|first=Jessica|last=Wright|date=10 March 2015|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150804073617/http://www.goodfood.com.au/good-food/food-news/melbournes-first-diner-en-blanc-all-white-on-the-night-20150310-13zyr8.html|archivedate=August 4, 2015 }}
In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Taiwan, Australia and New Zealand were the only three countries to host the event.{{citation|url=https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/4004496|date=9 September 2020|title=Taiwan one of only three countries to host 2020 Dîner en Blanc|first=Lyla|last=Liu}}
References
{{Reflist|2}}
{{Visitor attractions in Paris|state=collapsed}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Diner en Blanc}}