My First Diner En Blanc

Saw it on Top Chef a few years ago and was intrigued. It started in Paris, where 15,000 people now do Diner en Blanc every year. It's migrated to cities all over the world, including Cincinnati, which has held Diner en Blanc for 5 years now. Fellow Pendleton artist Susie Mahan and I heard about the one in Washington Park a few years ago. I couldn't go last year, when it was at Woodburn Corners near Xavier U, but got a kick out of the photos and videos I saw online.

So when I was able to register this year, Susie agreed to go with me. According to the rules, we had to take a table no larger than the specified size, white folding chairs, white tablecloth, china, crystal, tea lights and our picnic, dressed all in white. The location is a secret, so you get a bus leader and a location to meet your bus.

There were 4 large buses picking people up at our location, so we had to locate our bus leader and load our stuff into the bottom compartment before boarding.

Here are some other guests on our bus bringing their stuff to load.

It was fun meeting and talking to people sitting near us on the bus. The folks behind us had been to all previous Cincinnati Diner en Blanc's -- at Lytle Park, Fountain Square, Washington Park, and Woodburn Corners. They thought we might be going to Ault Park. Susie was hoping for a location near the riverfront like Smale Park. My friend Lana had told me rumor had it at the Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal. Our bus leader wouldn't tell us and all these were in the 30 minute bus ride range.

We sat next to him so I recognized the seating chart he was looking at on the ride there but no one really knew until we got off the highway and saw all the buses heading in. Apparently there were more than twice as many people as last year, about 2,600 in all, but still just a fraction of those who now dine and party together in Paris.

We'd barely set our table before I was sure I wanted to do this again next year. Susie got a selfie stick so our dining partners taught us how to use it. It was hot in the sunshine until the sun started setting behind the rotunda but great music and everyone twirls their napkins when dinner begins.

Not only is the "vibe" and the excitement totally fun but it's great people watching walking around and checking out everyone's outfits and table settings. There were prizes (wine tasting for 24 people) for the best table setting -- look at this one; we didn't even come close!

And there were several photo booths, where we got to meet all kinds of people waiting in line. One thing we liked about this year's location was our ability to use the restrooms in Union Terminal rather than portalettes (even though they had some of the nice ones there too; not the turquoise "refrigerator" types.)

The dance floor started getting crowded as disco music evolved to more modern tunes. All kinds of people, all ages, this is a great event for Cincinnati, or any city, to host. We had a great view of the skyline and saw a beautiful sunset.

It's a rain or shine event but I don't think I'd want to do it in bad weather. If you don't want to carry your food and drink, those things are available to purchase and pick up at the venue once you arrive.

The evening ends with sparklers for everybody. What fun! These videos may give you a little taste of 2016's Diner en Blanc Cincinnati. It was even better than I thought, or hoped, it would be.

#debcincy