This event was definitely mysterious, and truth be told, some of it is still<\/em> a mystery to me, such as its raison d\u2019etre. In the month leading up to it, everyone kept asking me what Diner En Blanc is about. And for once, I literally had no idea. And now that I\u2019ve attended it\u2026I still don\u2019t! But that doesn\u2019t matter at all because it was honestly the most special event I\u2019ve ever been to! And, in my very looong career as a bon vivette, that\u2019s saying something.<\/p>\n The official “waving of the napkins.” Photo courtesy of Diner en Blanc.<\/p><\/div>\n The whole thing was sort of Fellini-esque. And it reminded some of Mardi Gras, including Mr. X, who wasn\u2019t even there! He was just going by my tales of it when I got home. I felt like I was in the 1966 movie Blow-up<\/em>. (Okay, someone stop me already!)<\/p>\n I\u2019ll explain this utterly unique event as best I can, and then you can always go to their site for more information, so that no matter where in the world you are, you don\u2019t miss the next one. (Link at the bottom of this article.)<\/p>\n The guy in the middle won the night for me. Photo courtesy of Diner en Blanc.<\/p><\/div>\n Diner En Blanc is a sporadic international dinner-dancing-entertainment event, which began in Paris, (of course,) in 1988. From what I understand, it takes place in different cities from year-to-year.<\/p>\n As fascinating as it all is, the organization has many strict rules for attendance. But half the fun is following them!!! For example, attendees must wear all white; not cream, not oyster, not off-white, not bone, not even French vanilla! Just real<\/em> white! (And everyone, I\u2019m sure quite happily, did so on Saturday night!) I<\/em> love playing dress-up, so that was perfect for me. (But I had not noticed that this year\u2019s theme was \u201cLa Belle \u00c9poque,\u201d so I missed-out on rocking lace and pearls! I could have even come up with several pairs of gloves<\/em> had I known!)<\/p>\n This was the most visually stunning event, created almost entirely by the attendees! Guests either rent tables and chairs, which the organizers set-up on-site before the arrivals, or choose to\u2026bring their own! (And many people do!) The same with the food, linen, and tableware. But the gorgeous and creative decorations are all up to each pair or group of diners. It\u2019s really amazing what some guests do. Several people come up with unbelievably elaborate creations. For just that one night! A good part of the enjoyment is<\/em> the setting-up. And then everyone is able to go around and gush over each other\u2019s attire, repast, and table decor. (And I\u2019m happy to say that one rule is that everyone has to clean-up after themselves. You can leave nothing behind. As a hater of litterbugs, I very much appreciate that.)<\/p>\n This group was the most fabulous for not only that incredible\u00a0table structure, but for decorating their chairs with ribbons! Photo by Karen Salkin, as is the one at the top of this page.<\/p><\/div>\n The most intriguing\u00a0part of the entire evening is that the exact location is always a mystery! The ticket holders get a text a couple of hours before the start time letting them know where it is. (In this case, all we knew ahead of time is that it was somewhere in LA, but I believe that it\u2019s never too far away and within the parameters of the host city.)<\/p>\n This<\/em> location, right in front of the majestic Beverly Hills City Hall, was cleverly chosen. It was smack dab in the middle of Beverly Hills, right across from the renowned Wallis theatre, on a street that is very easy to get to, and it being closed to traffic didn\u2019t really inconvenience drivers in the area. And best of all, the expected heat didn\u2019t affect the festivities there! Wow. I had been a tad trepidatious about attending because of LA\u2019s current brutal heatwave, so when the secret location was revealed a couple of hours earlier, my friend and I were thrilled; the Westside of LA is soooo much cooler than Downtown or the Valley. So I\u2019m sure we all thank whoever picked it for that wise choice.<\/p>\n Last Saturday night\u2019s Diner En Blanc was all so magical and well-organized. It was even exciting just seeing lines of all-white-clad peeps walking along Santa Monica Boulevard to the venue! I\u2019m still in shock that even in jaded Los Angeles, over 1,100 people showed-up for this oh-so-different and entertaining event. The guest list was comprised of all (adult) ages, ethnicities, and persuasions; it was a beautiful blend of humanity, all there for the same purpose of having a great time. And everyone got along perfectly.<\/p>\n The guests arriving. Photo courtesy of Diner en Blanc.<\/p><\/div>\n And, although the first word is \u201cdinner\u201d in French, (the complete title is \u201cDinner In White,\u201d for you non-Francophones,) it\u2019s not solely an enchanting dinner<\/em> party\u2014there are soooo many aspects to it! I want to go back and relive them all! There are a duo of mainstays for Diner En Blanc, bookending the dinner portion of the event. First is the \u201cwaving of the white cloth napkins\u201d to start the dining off. It is quite the sight. And then, to signal the end of the eating and beginning of the dancing, they hand out gigantic 36\u201d sparklers, and we all light them at the same time. (Good thing the food is over because I used to put them on top of birthday cakes instead of candles, which made the frosting taste like sulphur! So please use that as a cautionary tale.)<\/p>\n There was also a tarot reader, a portrait artist, a photo booth, (which I feel bad I never got to,) a live female singer, a great DJ, and a juggler, (whom I also shamefully missed.) But I\u2019m especially<\/em> sad that we didn\u2019t stay for the dancing. The DJ was playing great music, just like in my old hip-hop clubs, so I would have loved to dance the night away. But my friend really wanted to go, and I always try to accommodate my guests. So I may need the krump dancing Mr. X to come with me next<\/em> time\u2014we always close down the dance floor!<\/p>\n Monica Castaneda and Karen Salkin at the end of the Diner En Blanc. Photo by Victoria Westbrook.<\/p><\/div>\n I also want to make this point: In a town where so many are envious of what the next person has, everyone who participates in Diner En Blanc should be very pleased with their own<\/em> lives that they have pals who are happy to do this distinctive event together. I sincerely mean that.<\/p>\n Towards the end of the festivities, I got to chat for a bit with one of the event hosts, Monica Castaneda. She told me that the organization plans to bring Diner En Blanc back to LA in\u2026March! After not being held here for seven years before last week\u2019s rendition, that\u2019s great news to all of its SoCal fans, including the newest one, yours truly! I\u2019m already planning my new wardrobe for it! (Will Winter White be an accepted shade?)<\/p>\n Here\u2019s the link to learn more about the entire organization, and where they\u2019ll be heading next: losangeles.dinerenblanc.com\/city<\/a>. Bon appetit!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" DINER EN BLANC Now I\u2019ve officially seen everything! In a good way. If you think you\u2019ve seen it all, I\u2019m here to tell you\u2014unless you have participated in a fabulous Diner En Blanc, you have not. This event was definitely mysterious, and truth be told, some of it is still a mystery to me, such<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/R3__4464-e1786121690187.jpg\")
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