July 14, 2025
Provided Image/Le Dîner en Blanc
Philadelphia will host its 13th Dîner en Blanc on Thursday, Aug. 21, at a secret location to be announced the day of the event. Registration for the annual picnic opens Wednesday.
Le Dîner en Blanc, the annual pop-up picnic that pays homage to Parisian tradition, will open registration on Wednesday for people looking to attend Philly's 13th edition of the mysterious communal dinner on Thursday, Aug. 21. This year's theme is inspired by the 100th anniversary of F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic Jazz Age novel "The Great Gatsby."
Registration for the event is meant for people who are on the waitlist for Dîner en Blanc, which brought about 5,000 people dressed in white to feast at LOVE Park last year. Before registration opens, spots are reserved each year for members who attended the prior year's dinner and friends they've chosen to sponsor. Tickets are sold in pairs for $56 each, plus a $14 membership fee per person.
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This year's picnic follows the custom of withholding the secret location of the event until shortly before it begins. Past sites have included Logan Circle, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Navy Yard and the Avenue of the Arts. On the night of the dinner, attendees meet at a designated time and place where volunteers will lead them to the picnic grounds.
Everyone who attends must bring their own table, chairs, utensils, picnic basket and garbage bag. Meals can either be brought from home or ordered from Dîner en Blanc's gourmet catering menu. Disposable plates and cups are not allowed, and the picnic is held rain or shine.
Entertainment this year will include jazz music from Drew Nugent & the Midnight Society and other bands still to be announced. Dance teachers will offer lessons on footwork for the Charleston, and the scene will be set with vintage cars and croquet games. Guests donning their all-white attire are encouraged to experiment with styles from the 1920s.
People interested in getting tickets can create an account at the Dîner en Blanc website to receive invitations for registration, which opens at 10 a.m. Wednesday. Registration will remain open until the event reaches full capacity.
