Innisfil’s Arts Culture and Heritage Council (IACHCH) is dedicated to promoting arts and culture in Innisfil, through special events that include concerts, an annual Studio Tour, and an event that had its roots in France: Dîner en blanc; or in English, Dinner in White.
The classy, pop-up picnic started in Paris in 1988, with diners dressed in white preparing gourmet picnics and table settings, and then heading to a secret location announced just before the event was to begin.
Dinner in White has become a worldwide phenomenon, popping up around the world, including the Town of Innisfil.
On Aug. 18, the IACHC hosted the seventh annual Innisfil Dinner in White. Diners prepared their food, chose their themes, and had tablecloths and décor at the ready, then waited to learn where they would be assembling.
Past locations have included the KOA Campground in Cookstown, and the shores of Lake Simcoe. This year, diners were directed to the gazebo at the Innisfil Town Hall.
Tables and chairs were provided, there was a silent auction, and live music by Joe Adamick Band – but all the rest, from food, drink and décor to joie de vivre and camaraderie, was provided by the diners themselves.
There was a threat of rain, but it didn’t faze the participants. Umbrellas popped up at the pop-up picnic, and as IACHC member and dinner guest Barb Baguley noted, “There were two very short bursts but we ‘partied on’.”
