Diner en Blanc – August 9, 2012
August 9, 2012 will be a day that goes down in Toronto’s history as the first official Diner en Blanc was hosted in our great city. We were happy to be a part of this memorable event. Around 1400 people came from far and wide, braving the early rain, to be part of this historic event. All dressed in white, pockets of people began to convene at various pick-up points throughout the city around 6:00 PM. Seeing groups dressed in white dotted around the city made quite a statement as passerbys who may not have heard of the event stared and wondered what it was all about.
People were instructed to meet at various pick-up points throughout the city, where they would then be escorted to the secret location where the event took place. We gathered with our group at Roy Thompson Hall, boarded a bus around 6:30 PM, and started guessing where we would end up. Minutes later, 18 coach buses and 500 participants that walked and took transit arrived at the historic Fort York. It was only fitting that the event be held at Fort York this year, as we commemorate the war of 1812. Clever!
When the participants arrived, they began to set up their white tables, adorning them with many beautiful arrangements, set up their white chairs, pulled out their white place settings and cloth napkins, and set up their meals and beverages. The green fields of Fort York were transformed into a sea of white. It was a beautiful sight to behold. The dinner began just before 8:00 PM as guests waved cloth napkins overhead, signalling the official commencement of dinner.
Diners brought an assortment of homemade meals, or, picked up a pre-ordered picnic basket from a set menu which they were able to pre-purchase. Red, white, and sparkling wine was also available for pre-purchase, and, it is our understanding that almost 700 bottles were purchased and shared across the tables. Our group of 20 plus created a massive pot-luck with food being passed around and shared by all, as old friends re-united and new friendships were formed.
The dinner ran from around 8:00 to 9:30 PM. The end of dinner was signaled by the lighting of sparklers, and, all of Fort York came alive with diners in white lighting up the night sky with the sparklers provided by the crew of Diner en Blanc. Another beautiful sight to behold, as you looked across the sea of white, holding sparklers, to the beautiful city skyline shinning in the night, as the backdrop. After dinner, the guests took the chance to dance the night away to the live band, take pictures of one another throughout the beautiful grounds, and have their photos taken by a professional photographer at a table set up by the organizers of Diner en Blanc. Around 11:00 PM the dinner ended, guests packed-up their belongings, collected their trash (which they disposed of in a white garbage bag which they took with them), and dispersed into the night, leaving Fort York without a trace that they were ever there.
We were grateful to have been a part of the first Diner en Blanc and look forward to attending many more in the years ahead, both in Toronto and around the world.