The 2017 edition of New York City Dîner en Blanc, the pop-up white dinner for thousands that originated in Paris took Lincoln Center by storm this evening. Although it is the second time the dinner has been on the plaza of Lincoln Center (the first took place in 2012), this year the location was host to 5000 guests, 2000 more than the first. The additional guests, along with the dance floor, were in Damrosch Park, the 2.6 acre city park just next to the Metropolitan Opera House. With over 45,000 people on the wait list, the New York City Diner en Blanc is always one of the hot tickets of the summer.
As with every year, the dinner is coordinated in a short time frame by the Dîner en Blanc international, based in Montreal, with assistance from local partners and volunteers. Information is disseminated to guests, who purchase tickets online in a staged system based on past attendance, by a hierarchical system of volunteer leaders. The guests meet at a predetermined meeting location, all over New York City and Brooklyn, and take public transportation to the site, which is kept a secret to the guests until the moment of arrival. Guests converged on Lincoln Center between 6 PM and 6:30 PM, and napkins were waved to signal the official start of dinner at around 7 PM.
This year, French water brands Evian and Badoit are national partners of the Dîner en Blanc events in the United States, offering free bottled water – particularly apropos for the hot summer day here in New York City.
In 2012, we created a timelapse video of the entry into Lincoln Center:
More photos:
Stay tuned next year for the 8th edition of the New York City Dîner en Blanc!
Next, check out the history of the Dîner en Blanc locations in Paris, the past locations in NYC, and see the documentary about the Diner en Blanc in Paris featuring Untapped Cities founder Michelle Young.
