Dîner en Blanc Okanagan brought together about 1,100 guests for its 7th annual pop-up dinner event in Kelowna on Thursday night.
The crowd was bused in from around the Okanagan to the Harvest Golf Club for the gathering, which took place in inclement weather.
“The weather was not necessarily the best today,” event co-host Alison Love said. “Although we’ve had very warm weather in the past, today has not measured up that way.”
“Everyone’s here. We’re having a great time regardless.”
While early estimates stated that more than 1,200 were to attend, the number of participants have dwindled from a crowd of 1,300 in 2018.
The event location is kept secret until guests see where the buses take them.
At the first Okanagan Dîner en Blanc, there were 150 people, according to Love. Those who attend can invite someone the next year and there is a wait list, according to the event website.
“The whole idea is a pop-up picnic,” Love said. “It’s a little more organized than a pop-up picnic but the idea is you come, you have dinner outside, meet some new friends, you sit at a table with a group and you just get to know each other and have a fun night out.”
To attend, guests are required to wear white, elegant clothing, bring their own chairs, table, dinner setting and food.
To help accommodate guests who would prefer to buy food, picnic baskets were pre-ordered.
A ticket to the event costs $52.
One couple at Thursday night’s event got engaged.