Written by Rebecca King, April 11 2018

On Saturday afternoon, precisely 76 people dressed in pristine white will be anxiously refreshing their email accounts, their cars loaded up with tables, chairs, dishes, napkins, table cloths — also all white — and food. Once the email is received, disclosing a formerly secret location, the meticulously dressed crowd will converge, officially starting Somers Point’s first Fete en Blanc, or “Festival in White.”

Taking place 4:30 p.m. Saturday, April 14, in conjunction with the city’s April in Paris weekend, the Fete en Blanc is a take on the international celebration Diner en Blanc, a flash dining event that was begun by Frenchman Francois Pasquier in 1988 Paris, where people bring their own table, place settings and food to a location that is revealed to them the day of. The twist is everything, from clothing down to the table centerpiece, must be white.

“It’s a unique event that we think will complement the entire long weekend. It adds a lot of cultural diversity to April in Paris,” says Karina Anthony, chairperson of Somers Point’s first foray into the all-white celebration. “Certainly it was a challenge to plan everything, but we think it will be rewarding for the community of Somers Point and for attendees.”Fete en Blanc has already closed its registration, having reached the max number of possible participants. According to Anthony, it was met with “curiosity from some and a lot of excitement,” and though the event will be heavily attended by residents of Somers Point, Anthony says that groups from as far away as Pennsylvania have registered to attend.

Similar events are often held in large metropolitan areas, like New York City Philadelphia and, of course, Paris, but holding a Fete en Blanc in a smaller town is somewhat novel.

“Not a lot of small towns can pull of an event like this … It certainly evokes a sense of community but also a sense of exclusivity,” Anthony says. “I honestly think the exclusivity is the No. 1 reason (why the Fete en Blanc has proven so popular). And the second is, who doesn’t love a good themed party? I think it’s something interesting and unusual for people to do.”

Once the location is announced via email and the event is underway, judges will be on hand to decide on a Best in Show, scrutinizing fashion and the creativity of the tablescapes. The winner will receive a French-themed prize. Passion Vines will also be there, selling French beer, wine and champagne.Anthony points out that, in the true spirit of the event, participants should be dressed in pure white, avoiding ivories and cream colors, with no non-white buttons, piping or pops of color.

There will be a registration check in where volunteers will make sure guests are dressed appropriately to “maintain the integrity of the event,” however, Anthony assures that no one will be sent away, and that the check points are there to indicate to guests how to proceed at Fete en Blancs in years to come.In the meanwhile, the lucky 76 who are able to attend can prepare with these words from Anthony on dress, tablescapes and food for the Fete en Blanc:

On dress:

“Wear something that you’re comfortable in. No pops of color. Sometimes people will think to wear pink shoes or a green hat — something like that — when they’re wearing white, but the outfits need to be all white. And technically, there should be no black buttons or black piping on the ensemble. We’re going to be lenient about different shades of white, because shades of white can vary, as long as you’re comfortable and confident, and wearing a unique white outfit, that evokes the spirit of the event.”

On food:

“I think it can be fun to have French food to keep with the theme of the event. But, if you don’t feel like cooking, we do encourage people to get take out from local restaurants.”

On tablescape:

“A white table cloth is a must, with white napkins, because the event starts with the traditional Waving of the Napkins. Dinner wear should be brought, like glasses and plates. There should be a white centerpiece, but it doesn’t have to be flowers. We encourage creativity. And we also want people to think to bring a trash bag, because they’ll have to remove all of their trash.”