You’ve heard of mystery dinner theatre, but how about a secret picnic?
Three residents are planning a covert culinary ceremony in Collingwood this September, and to get in, you have to know someone.
It’s called Le Diner en Blanc, and it’s an international sensation that originated in Paris in 1988.
Event planner Lori D’Agostino attended one in Calgary three years ago and was struck by the uniqueness and elegance of the event. She vowed to plan one of her own someday.
Now that she’s back in Collingwood, she’s done just that with the help of Steven Vipond (co-owner of Crow. Bar and Variety and Bruce Wine Bar) and Lisa Farano.
Le Diner en Blanc is a pop-up picnic with flare – and some strict rules.
“It took no convincing,” said Vipond, who was approached to co-host the event by D’Agostino. “The concept is very exciting … you’re creating this environment in an environment.”
Guests must be invited by the three hosts’ network, participating partners or via the online waiting list. Everyone attending must dress completely in white, with no exceptions. Guests must bring their own table settings which can only include white linens, white chairs, a foldable table, white linen napkins, proper stemware, flatware and white dinnerware. You may bring your own picnic dinner or purchase one catered by Crow. Bar and Variety and Bruce Wine Bar. You can bring non-alcoholic beverages, but alcoholic beverages must be purchased through the Diner En Blanc e-store.
The location of the event remains a secret until the last minute. Guests are instead assigned a rendezvous point and a leader will take them to the Le Diner location.
“It’s so different from a traditional event,” said D’Agostino. “It’s shrouded in secrecy. It’s simple, it’s beautiful, it’s elegant, it’s magical. And it’s cool to know it’s happening all over the world.”
Paris just celebrated the 30th anniversary of Le Diner En Blanc, and since 2011, the event has gone international. There’s now a Le Diner event in 80 cities in 30 countries around the globe. The Toronto even has a waiting list of 15,000 people.
“I just love the community camaraderie,” said Lisa Farano. “People who know about the event are very excited about it.”
In addition to the pop-up picnic portion of the event, the local hosts have arranged live music (of course the band is still a mystery) and art installations being created specifically for the Le Diner event, which takes place September 8 for the Southern Georgian Bay region.
Every Le Diner must take place in a public space and it is different each year. The Collingwood co-hosts expect the local event to reach capacity, which is a maximum of 999 people. This will be the first Le Diner en Blanc event in Collingwood.
