August 10, 2023
HughE Dillon/For PhillyVoice
This year's Dîner en Blanc is taking place at Fairmount Park's Memorial Hall, which houses the Please Touch Museum. The photo above is a file photo from a previous year's party.
A little rain Thursday afternoon doesn't seem to have put a damper on one of Philly's most uniquely mysterious events, Dîner en Blanc.
Shortly ago, the surprise location for the 2023 outdoor "chic picnic," where attendees must wear white and bring their own food, was revealed as Fairmount Park's Memorial Hall, home to the Please Touch Museum. Organizers are expecting around 6,000 people to attend tonight's pop-up dinner, which runs from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.
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Memorial Hall, built in 1876, is home to Please Touch Museum's child-friendly interactive exhibits and often hosts special events.
SEPTA announced that buses would be bypassing the museum in both directions from 5 p.m. through 9 p.m. due to a "private event."
Last year, Dîner en Blanc celebrated its 10th year in Philadelphia with a soiree in Logan Circle, marking its first repeat destination in the city. Logan Circle was the site of Dîner en Blanc's inaugural Philly pop-up back in 2012.
To date, the extravagant event has been held at nine different public locations in the city: Logan Circle, the JFK Boulevard Bridge, Avenue of the Arts, Navy Yard, Philadelphia Museum of Art steps, Franklin Square, City Hall/Thomas Paine Plaza, Boathouse Row and Rittenhouse Square. Dîner en Blanc was not held in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
While Philly has been hosting Dîner en Blanc for over a decade, the event's history dates farther back to a 1988 gathering of friends in Paris, France. Atlantic City also began hosting an iteration of the event last summer, and continued its new tradition in 2023.
Each year, tickets to Philly's exclusive Dîner en Blanc sell out, and there is a waitlist to even be considered for an invitation.
The rules for the night are specific and straightforward: Wear white and bring your own food, drinks (no hard liquor or beer), cutlery, chairs, tables and picnic baskets.
Along with enjoying a meal with friends in a unique outdoor location, tonight's guests will experience live performances and plenty of photo opportunities. Philadelphians who happen to be walking past the museum are in for some entertainment of their own as they ogle the head-turning spectacle.
Hopefully tonight's Dîner en Blanc attendees packed their matching white umbrellas. Dîner en Blanc is a rain or shine event, according to its website, so it is expected to proceed as planned despite the chance of rain and scattered thunderstorms in Philly.
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