Le Dîner en Blanc – 2019 Review of the Year

2019 is coming to an end soon! Every year at this time, December is perfect to look back at some of the highlights from the different Le Dîner en Blanc events held around the world. This intense and unexpected year gave way to 77 beautiful evenings on six continents. Nights that delighted the Dîner en Blanc fans, thanks to the hard work and passion of the hosts and their teams of volunteers!

To see the Year in Review in video, click here: Le Dîner en Blanc 2019

 

Le Dîner en Blanc and its Flagship Editions

The 31st edition of Paris once again bore a special symbolism since the dinner was held on June 6th, which was the 75th anniversary of the Normandy landings (D-Day), and the very last edition as an organizer for the famous founder of Le Dîner en Blanc, Mr. François Pasquier. A moment filled with emotion, recalling beautiful memories, marking the end of an era and the beginning of a new one for Le Dîner en Blanc de Paris. A night high in emotion and action as the Parisian Police Forces decided to prohibit access to the secret space initially planned. Not being their first event, the hosts quickly turned around and put plan B into motion so the thousands of guests were able to settle at Place de la Concorde and Le Louvre.

On the other side of the Atlantic, an air of change took over the 11th edition of Le Dîner en Blanc de Montréal. Since its grand premiere in 2009, Aymeric Pasquier had produced the event. Having announced in 2018 that the 10th anniversary edition would be his last, a new hosting team came in to take the reins. What a magical evening it was! Thousands of guests settled at Espace 67 on Île Ste-Hélène, the enchantment reached new heights since the site offered breathtaking views of the city.
 

When Mother Nature Gets Involved!

The time of year when Le Dîner en Blanc is to be held is carefully chosen so that the weather conditions are optimal, but sometimes nature can be unpredictable.

On July 17, two events took place in North America, in very different places, but with the same evening disruption!

Back for a 9th edition, Le Dîner en Blanc - New York was going well. The approximately 5,500 guests had set up at Rockefeller Park and had just begun to dine while enjoying a show of Broadway songs when Mother Nature decided to dramatically put an end to the festivities! Le Dîner en Blanc is a rain or shine event, except when winds and lightning brought on by a thunderstorm compromise the safety of all. In these conditions, the night must come to an end.


With its number of guests, it was impossible to shelter all this elegant crowd which was not the case for Le Dîner en Blanc – Edmonton. Indeed, back on the calendar after two years of hiatus, the event took place at the Edmonton Commonwealth Stadium. The 800 or so guests were able to find refuge in the stands during the storm and return to the field though somewhat soggy to end the evening.

A few weeks later, the same meteorological scenario abruptly ended the 9th edition of Le Dîner en Blanc - Philadelphia where organizers had invited their 6,000 guests to dine, mingle and dance at Boathouse Row on the banks of Schuylkill River.

Summer Is Short, Guests Come Running!

Le Dîner en Blanc is always very present on the North American continent from coast to coast in the United States and Canada. Winters being long and arduous in many of these regions, so when the mild months arrive, guests are more than ready to enjoy an evening under the stars. This year, 34 American cities and 12 Canadian cities celebrated Le Dîner en Blanc.

Paradisiac Destinations
Producing Le Dîner en Blanc is quite challenging! Every city where the event is held also has its share of peculiarities. For some of them, it comes with the fact that their city is the perfect holiday destination so attracting the vacationer is not an easy affair. This year, a lot of places have made more than one dream! Between Kingston, Cap-Haitian, Santo Domingo, Honolulu, San José, Havana and many others, the sunny destinations were abundant.

Milestone Editions and Premieres

Nine cities took the plunge and embarked on the Dîner en Blanc adventure in 2019, to the delight of their residents: Fort Lauderdale, Havana, Guatemala City, Hartford, Raleigh, Birmingham, Jacksonville, Austin and Libreville! Filled with lots of surprises for their grand premiere, hosts took up the challenge hands down. Future events will be rich in enthusiasm and friendship.

While new cities came on board, other celebrated their 5th-anniversary milestone. An important moment to celebrate as this anniversary marks with the commitment and passion of the hosting teams, volunteers and guests that the tradition is setting in. In 2019, the turning point was marked in elegance in San José, Querétaro, Haiti, Shanghai, Pittsburgh, Dallas, London, Houston, Melbourne and West Palm Beach.

 

Speaking of West Palm Beach, not only does Le Dîner en Blanc celebrate its 5th edition, but the event also wins the prize for being the very last of 2019. The evening will take place on December 28th, a few hours before the arrival of 2020!

Talk of the Town!

As we all know, Le Dîner en Blanc is a very photogenic gathering. As a result, the digital era suits the event perfectly. The international press continues to be intrigued and guests, through their various networks, continue the word-of-mouth that serves the event so well. For a quick overview, see Le Diner en Blanc Media 2019

In 2019, community spirit, friendship and joie de vivre were celebrated in 77 cities in 23 countries by more than 120,000 people! MILLE MERCIS to all the hosting teams, volunteers, partners and collaborators who made Le Diner en Blanc a magical and unique experience for its thousands of guests!

We wish you a wonderful new year and a new decade filled with even more beautiful,
impressive and surprising dinners under the stars!

Santé!
Dîner en Blanc International

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