The surprise location for Philadelphia’s 12th Dîner en Blanc has finally been announced.
Thursday’s outdoor “fancy picnic,” where attendees must wear white and bring their own food, will take place at LOVE Park on the corner of 16th Street and JFK Boulevard. Organizers expect around 5,000 participants to attend the pop-up dinner this evening.
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LOVE Park, also known as John F. Kennedy Plaza, is a former skate park that is home to Robert Indiana’s famous LOVE statue, which has stood at this location almost continuously since 1976.
Last summer, the Dîner en Blanc took place in front of Memorial Hall in Fairmount Park, which was built in 1876 and now houses the child-friendly interactive exhibits of the Please Touch Museum.
In 2022, the event celebrated its tenth year in Philly and, for the first time, took place in a location that had already hosted an event the previous year – Logan Circle, the site of Dîner en Blanc’s first Philly pop-up in 2012. Other public locations in Philly where the extravagant event has taken place include the JFK Boulevard Bridge, Avenue of the Arts, the Navy Yard, the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Franklin Square, City Hall/Thomas Paine Plaza, Boathouse Row, Rittenhouse Square, and Memorial Hall/Please Touch Museum.
While Philly has been hosting Dîner en Blanc for over a decade, the event’s history stretches back to a gathering of friends in Paris, France in 1988. Atlantic City has also been hosting another edition of the event since 2022.
The rules for Dîner en Blanc events are clear and straightforward: Wear white clothing and bring your own food, drinks (no liquor or beer), silverware, chairs, tables and picnic baskets. Every year, tickets to Philly’s exclusive Dîner en Blanc sell out. To be considered for an invitation, you must have either attended an event the previous year, be sponsored by someone who attended, or be on the waitlist.
In addition to al fresco dining and plenty of photo opportunities, Philly’s Dîner en Blanc also features dancing and live entertainment. This year’s event is a tribute to the 50th anniversary of the Philadelphia-penned song “Come and Get Your Love” by the band Redbone. Music will be provided by the Boathouse Row Band and DJ Nico Oso. There will also be tango lessons, drums and sparklers.
This evening is forecast to be mostly clear skies and temperatures around 19 degrees – perfect weather for a picnic under the stars.
