Parisians and tourists wearing seasonally appropriate all-white outfits enjoyed gourmet picnics Sunday in front of the French capital’s 19th century Les Invalides monument, a meal heightened by a preceding mystery.
The location of the 30th anniversary staging of the international dining event known as “Diner en Blanc,” or “Dinner in White,” was revealed to participants in a series of text messages up until the last minute.
People gathered on green lawns with fabulous views of the gold-domed building that houses the tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte and other prominent French figures.
They brought tables with white tablecloths and sipped champagne and wine.
Organizers expected 20,000 to 30,000 participants, one-third of them from outside France. The Champs-Elysees avenue, the Louvre museum and the Eiffel Tower are among past sites.
Francois Pasquier, who launched the event in Paris in 1988, said more than two dozen orchestras were set to entertain guests.
Last year, over 110,000 people in 28 countries participated in “Dinner in White” events.
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