Diner En Blanc Returns To Washington More Popular Than Ever; Dry Cleaners Among The First To Rejoice

MOUNT VERNON SQUARE -- Unless you've been living under a rock for the past couple of weeks, the sight of thousands of dapperly-dressed Washingtonians -- all clad in various shades of white -- pouring out of the city's metro stops on Saturday evening wouldn't have taken you at all by surprise.

Indeed, news of the return of Washington's Diner En Blanc had been saturating water cooler conversations for much of August, with surrounding media coverage and shopping events taking hold of the city.

And with nearly 3,000 attendees packing the lush grounds surrounding Carnegie Library at Mt. Vernon Square for the occasion, the District's largest 'white party' of the year rightfully deserves considerable attention.

Diner En Blanc is really less about the 'diner' (e.g., the dinner) and more about the sense of community it creates. Those lucky enough to score a ticket (the waiting list was rumored to number nearly 10,000) were instructed to meet at various rendezvous points throughout the metropolitan area for the start of their 'all-blanc' experience.

Parading through the streets of D.C., with white tables, chairs, and picnic baskets in tow, is considered part of the night's fun. The end destination is actually a closely guarded secret by event organizers to prevent people from bypassing the somewhat sweaty trek.

The reward for secretly participating in Washington's largest flash mob of the year is the pageantry that awaits when everyone finally comes together in the end. And more importantly, the way that individuals creatively strive to standout at a party where everyone seemingly looks alike. Cue the fancy tablecloths, backlit lighting, larger-than-life hats, angel wings, clown costumes, and wedding dresses that were spotted at Saturday's event. The unofficial contest for 'best dressed' was a selling point of the evening in and of itself.

As much as individuality abounds at Diner En Blanc, organizers are equally careful to ensure that the group as a whole shares a common celebratory experience. To such an end, the formal kickoff to the night is a ceremonious twirling of napkins, sunset brings about the lighting of sparklers at each table, and the evening culminates with a raucous dance party for all to enjoy.

And enjoy the night they surely did. Although probably not as much as the city's dry cleaners did come the following day...