An all white picnic party with a secret location. Â What could be more exclusive?
Originating in Paris as a small get together of friends, the Diner En Blanc has become extremely big compared to when it was first conceived in 1988. Picnics are always very fun to attend, especially with gourmet food and the best wine and champagne available, but imagine attending a pop up picnic which converts a regular park into a dinner setting in which thousands of people come together to share food and drink. Making its way across every major city in the world, this exclusive event has become something that people look forward to each year. This year’s Diner En Blanc was held in Pier 26 off the Hudson River Park which added an extra layer of elegance to this already sophisticated event mainly by having it near the water, where the guests could then enjoy watching the sun set as they had the time of their lives. Nearly 5000 people get together to enjoy a picnic in all white and to see this event from start to finish is somewhat of a spectacle. From the food to the music to the fun, high energy dancing, to even the wine sponsored by Apothic White, the champagne sponsored by Perrier Joulet, the Diner En Blanc has lived up to its magnificent reputation each year, each year being as good as or even better than the last. And Aymer Pasquier, one of the co-founders of the Diner En Blanc had some interesting things to say about the Diner En Blanc and having it in New York for another year.
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Aymeric Pasquier
Q:Â Can you talk about New York as a location for the Diner En Blanc and what you love about it?
A: We always select a location where we have a wonderful view and which is very iconic of the city as well. So, it’s one of the most beautiful view of south Manhattan and so that’s why we selected it. And at the same we recognize that there are not so many places that you can rent in Manhattan where you can be with 5000 people, so it is the part of the problem that we have every year.
Q:Â Talk to me about Diner En Blanc as a whole and what you love about it and your favorite part about it.
A: I have the privilege to be the son of one of the people who started Diner En Blanc, that was started 27 years ago in Paris and so for me it is part of my privilege and heritage to bring this to the international level; and especially New York which is a big window into the rest of the world and the biggest and largest Diner En Blanc in all the states. So, New York is the gate, for Europeans especially, into the United States. The American Dream starts with New York specifically and it is still the case for many Europeans who come to work here in the states.
Q:Â And last year the Diner En Blanc was at Nelson A Rockefeller Park, so what do you love about this location?
A: I must admit that I love to see the sunset and that’s the best side of Manhattan to get the sunset so that is part of the criteria. On the other side, when you don’t have so much light and not so many private places that you can rent so naturally the piers, when you get a certain size for the event, you don’t have many options available.
Q:Â Can you talk about the food, wine, and champagne that are sponsoring this event today?
A: We have Apothic White for our national sponsor so it means we have about 17 Diner En Blancs in the United States but my partner (Sandy Safi) is in charge of the wine and sponsorship but I know we have Apothic White and Celebrity Cruise and Perrier Joulet which are our three national sponsors. We are very proud because these brands really fit Diner En Blanc, naturally. The wine and champagne are really a part of the event.
