Another Year of Dîner en Blanc, Another Year of Complaints
Some backlash to the chic, wear-all-white event was especially harsh this year — considering the fact that its Dilworth Park location affected SEPTA services.
Dîner en Blanc guests arrive at Dilworth Park. | Image via 6ABC Action News
Dîner en Blanc and all of its white-clad patrons descended upon Dilworth Park on Thursday evening, for yet another year of the fancy, one-night-only, bring-your-own-pretty-much-everything event.
And then, as per usual, Philadelphians descended upon Twitter to criticize them.
There are two kinds of people in my feed: those that love #Dinerenblanc and those that find it the epitome of what’s wrong w Philadelphia
— Leigh Goldenberg 01-10 (@leighalice) August 17, 2018
Here’s a refresher on Dîner en Blanc for those who need it: The annual evening event, which started in Paris in 1988, is organized in cities across the world. It entails thousands of people, wearing all white, convening in some sort of iconic city destination, revealed only on the day of the event, for a chic dinner party. Guests absolutely must bring their own white tables, white chairs, and white tablecloths, and can choose between bringing their own dinner or purchasing a catered meal.
In Philadelphia, tickets cost $52 a pop (including a $9 membership fee) and are available through a lottery system. They’re not easy to come by due to the event’s popularity, so you’re lucky to get one — but if you do, you get to skip the lottery the following year.
This year, a record 5,500 people attended Dîner en Blanc in Philadelphia, spilling over from Dilworth Park into Thomas Paine Plaza. The location was certainly iconic: Guests gazed up at City Hall or across to LOVE Park while they ate.
Amazing #dinerenblanc philly at City Hall #debphl18 pic.twitter.com/HA3d2Ov0Vl
— PhillyChitChat (@HughE_Dillon) August 17, 2018
It seemed like fun was had by those who attended — but not, unfortunately, for some who didn’t.
As per usual, the chi-chi event was met with some backlash. After several years of convening in Philly, land of we-reject-overly-fancy-things, a little hate is nothing the organizers don’t necessarily expect.
Still, some people were especially frustrated with the event this year because it affected SEPTA’s City Hall services.
TRL: Passengers will have limited access to Market-Frankford and trolley service at Dilworth Park Plaza at City Hall due to a special event.
— SEPTA (@SEPTA) August 16, 2018
If you're already underground when you get to 15th, you're good (minus navigating hordes of lost people with entire dining rooms in their arms)
— Eastern Hellbender (@CorynWolk) August 16, 2018
Why does #dinerenblanc get to close off public access to public transportation? SEPTA is getting paid money for this that it'll use to improve its service, right? https://t.co/tD9GRVDq6S
— Eastern Hellbender (@CorynWolk) August 16, 2018
Otherwise, some just wanted to weigh in with their general distaste for the event.
Mayor Rizzo Welcomes All to Dinner In White outside Municipal Service Building @PhillyMayor @StuBykofsky @ccdphila @visitphilly @PHLVisitorCntr @RonniePhilly @PhilOutsider pic.twitter.com/kWfp3Evv5R
— FaithPhilly (@faithphillyours) August 17, 2018
https://twitter.com/mustafarashed/status/1030244292265238529
https://twitter.com/MaxMMarin/status/1030223744877441025
my favorite time of year, when philadelphians set aside their petty differences and come together to laugh at all the fuckin dweebs who go to diner en blanc
— benny gesserit (@ben_is_like) August 16, 2018
https://twitter.com/TeddyRedder/status/1030402100335919109
Saw this from the bus tonight and thought it was especially nice to give over City Hall for this event so they could show off in front of the homeless people on the nearby streets.
— Dr. J L Golden (@jgolden08) August 17, 2018
I’ll never understand the appeal of paying that much to eat my own food and haul my own shit around.
— mojo dojo bahay kubo (@mikeyil) August 16, 2018
It's time for 'diner en blanc' to turn their outrageously loud sound system off now & give the tax payers who lived through 2 yrs of construction on Love Park ( starting at 6:45 AM) a break. Turn it off, pack it up,
PLEASE go home, it's 10:47 PM. @PhillyMayor @PhiladelphiaGov— Karen Bennett (@KarenBeChirico) August 17, 2018
Tom Brady seems like a guy who would go to Diner en Blanc
— Kevin Kinkead (@Kevin_Kinkead) August 17, 2018
wowwww i didn't realize they were actually eating (or w/e they do there) in front of the rizzo statue to boot, jfc
— alina pleskova (@nahhhlina) August 17, 2018
https://twitter.com/island_doctor/status/1030432775105638400
