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Saturday, November 14, 2026Nov 14

Diner en Blanc: New York leads world’s biggest popup picnic

People dressed in white have dinner on Pier 26 along the Hudson River during the Diner en Blanc event, Tuesday, July 28, 2015, in New York. Thousands of people attended the world's largest popup picnic, at a location revealed at the last moment. (AP Photo/Verena Dobnik)
People dressed in white have dinner on Pier 26 along the Hudson River during the Diner en Blanc event, Tuesday, July 28, 2015, in New York. Thousands of people attended the world's largest popup picnic, at a location revealed at the last moment. (AP Photo/Verena Dobnik)

NEW YORK (AP) – Five thousand people dressed in white got together for the world’s largest popup picnic at a location revealed only at the last moment.

Guests for Tuesday’s Diner en Blanc, French for Dinner in White, showed up at one of 24 designated spots where the secret venue was disclosed.

Then came the spectacle: dining and dancing under the open sky at Pier 26 on the Hudson River in Manhattan’s tony Tribeca neighborhood. Participants brought what they wanted for a chic BYO, including food, tables, chairs and even silverware and candles. They also had to clean up after themselves.

Wendy Chang, a Hawaii native who works for an architectural firm that helped build One World Trade Center, bought the white chairs she shared with friends at IKEA. While there, she also spotted the headdress she wore Tuesday night: a white lampshade.

“This is great for people watching,” she said. “I love it.”