Cape Town - Dîner en Blanc, the original “white party”, is coming to Cape Town.
If you are sharp and alert, you may be one of the 1 800 guests donned in white and whisked off to a secret venue for a night of decadence on Saturday November 28.
A press release says that 27 years ago, François Pasquier had been out of town for some time, and on returning to Paris decided to invite friends for a picnic. Francois, in the mood for company and revelry, also asked each of his guests bring a friend along. The problem they faced, then, was how everyone would recognise each other as belonging to the picnic. The solution: all the guests were to dress in white clothing!
Le Dîner en Blanc has been hosted in over 50 cities in more than 20 countries around the world.
Its original host city, Paris, attracts 15 000 people, and New York's recent 5th event had over 30 000 registered subscribers clamouring to get a ticket.
The six key elements prescribed by the originators of the event are friendship, secrecy, elegance, effort, heritage and magic.
“Friendship, secrecy and elegance need no explanation, but effort is encouraged in the dress-up of the diners and their table décor, and heritage refers to the chosen ‘mystery venue’ which provides a backdrop of architectural history. The magic is generated, in part, by local organisers who have been planning this event for over a year and intend to put Cape Town on the ‘white map’,” the press release says.
Ross Maltman, who has compiled the local team, says:
“We are spoilt in Cape Town, with many a choice for restaurant, entertainment or places to go. Dîner en Blanc will add an international, stylish and elegant option to the Cape Town calendar. We cannot wait to showcase our city and its people”.
Guests can expect to be swept up from various meeting points in organised buses and public transport, whisked to the mysterious venue where they will be asked to “occupy the site” with a twirling of the napkins.
Dinner is then savoured, either directly from a guest’s own picnic basket, or pre-ordered picnics, accompanied by live local musicians and DJs.
At 9pm, sparklers signify the end of dinner and the opening of the dance floor.
How do you get invited to this magical picnic?
Tickets to the event are sold in pairs and available in three phases, the first of which is on an invite-only basis.
Phase two stays true to the original event all those years ago in Paris, where invited guests from phase one are to invite a friend.
Phase three opens up to the public who have registered online.
Once you have your ticket, it’s all about dressing up and sorting out your table décor. “It’s all participation” explains Maltman. “You can bring cheese and crackers and a single candle or fois gras, crayfish and a crystal candelabra, it’s entirely up to you”.
Let the magic begin!
To register on the waiting list go to: http://capetown.dinerenblanc.info/register
IOL, adapted from a press release
November 16 update: This event has been posptoned. - IOL