Shhh! A secret pop-up picnic is coming to Las Vegas -- and you're invited - Los Angeles Times
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Shhh! A secret pop-up picnic is coming to Las Vegas -- and you’re invited

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One of the world’s largest pop-up events, a picnic for thousands of people, arrives in Las Vegas next month.

Le Diner en Blanc (in English, Dinner in White) is expected to draw thousands. As in other cities that have hosted the culinary extravaganzas, participants don’t know where they’ll be dining until a bus takes them there. Only those who buy tickets in advance receive an invitation.

Registration began Tuesday for the April 17 event that will be held at an undisclosed Sin City location. And, as the title suggests, you must be wearing white (more on that later).

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Event organizers Michael Habicht and Pamela Ferrari of L.A.’s iii Designs said the mystery of the location is paramount to the buzz the picnics create.

“Iconic scenery exclusive to that city is key,” Ferrari noted, without giving away the location. Past picnics have been held overlooking Paris’ Eiffel Tower and Sydney’s Opera House, and in Pershing Square in downtown Los Angeles.

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“People are already prepping. They’re buying their picnic baskets. They’re selecting their outfits,” Habicht said. “They go all out on their flowers [and] their china.”

Choosing what to wear comes with a caveat: Everything must be white. Period.

“You can’t wear cream, you can’t wear ivory or off-white. It has to be white,” Ferrari said, adding that accessories, if desired, may be silver.

“It’s part of the whole experience,” Habicht explained. “When you see the flock of people dressed in all white, you’ll understand that it’s ... like having a flock of seagulls and having a crow inside.”

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Ferrari said it’s important for people to register quickly since previous picnics have sold out.

It costs $45 per ticket, which includes an $8 Le Diner en Blanc membership. Tables, chairs and balloon bouquets – white, of course – are included, but guests must bring everything else. For folks who don’t want to cook, caterers can provide food at an extra charge.

Nevada law prohibits guests packing alcoholic beverages in their hampers, so drinks must be pre-ordered through the website.

Event founder François Pasquier hosted the first surprise picnic in 1988 in Paris. Only a few friends attended. In contrast, last year’s picnic in the French capital drew 15,000 people.

The epicurean experiences have been held in more than 60 cities worldwide.

Info: Diner en Blanc Las Vegas

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