White Light

I ran into a White Party last night on my ride home from work. Or that’s what I thought it was until I did a little more research. There was a cluster of bright whites gathering around my Solar Bike Tree. Other white-clad folks carrying picnic baskets and coolers spread throughout the park around Science World, setting up portable tables, draping them in white cloths. Although the participants were all dressed in white, this was not technically a White Party. The White Party has its origins in the LGBTQ community and was originally conceived by Frank Wager as a fundraiser for HIV/AIDS research in 1985; the “circuit party” takes place all over the world. A few years later, the Dîner en blanc was born in Paris thanks to François Pasquier and a few friends. These dinners are meant to be chic al fresco picnics, with the secret and very public locations released to ticket holders at the last minute. It was a beautiful surprise to stumble upon this elegant sea of white diners whatever the intention.