I attended Charlotte’s most exclusive party — here’s how you can too next year

Here’s a look at why you’ve probably seen hundreds of congregating people dressed in all white in previous years — or more recently on social media last weekend.

Why it matters: Dîner en Blanc was created as a community event and is meant to spotlight iconic places across Charlotte and surrounding areas.

• This year’s proceeds from a raffle of a live painting will benefit the Charlotte Art League. The winner will receive a VIP dining experience for six at next year’s event. Anyone can enter the raffle, and the deadline to participate is Oct. 15.

Context: Dîner en Blanc originally started in 1988 with a few friends in Paris.

• Now, thousands of people gather for the elegant picnic dinner in public spaces all over the world.
• The annual dinner experience takes place internationally — throughout Europe, Africa, Asia, and North and South America.

Of note: Host Tara Robertson brought this event to Charlotte in 2018. She’d heard about it from family and friends but could never get in despite years on waitlists. She volunteered to host it in Charlotte so she could experience it herself.

• Robertson tells us she’s not a local but wants people to have a place to have clean fun.
• “You have to find your purpose. I’m so passionate about people coming together and enjoying themselves,” Robertson said.

Requirements: Most of the event is designed around secrecy but there are a couple rules that guests must follow in order to attend again.

• Rule #1: Wear all white from head to toe. You are allowed to accessorize with gold and silver.
• Rule #2: You must be on time in order to attend. You’ll meet table members at a nearby spot that is walking distance from the disclosed location. 
• Rule #3: Clean up after yourself. You will set up your table designs in public spaces that have to revert back to their original state.

Location: The address of the event is released 24 hours before the established meet up time.

• 3,2000 people attended this year’s celebration in downtown Gastonia at the CaroMont Health Park.
• In previous years the dinner was held in Romare Bearden Park, Bechtler Museum and First Ward.
• Each location provides an opportunity for people to learn about the area, Robertson tells us.

“I was so proud to bring the event to an area with the only Black majority owner at any level of professional baseball,” said Robertson, referencing Brandon Bellamy, who owns the Gastonia Honey Hunters.

Dinner: There are a couple options for food and drinks, depending on your preferences.

• A meal ticket available for purchase includes a meal catered by Something Classic. Wine was provided by Biltmore Wines. 
• Some attendees will coordinate with others, sitting at their table to prepare their own food. 

Vibe: The entire experience is filled with a variety of entertainment throughout the night. 

• Live music and a DJ get attendees out of their seats every year. This year, The Fuzz Band performed.
• Instagramable backdrops are set up to document the evening. Guests can compete in a “best dressed” contest with a chance to win a Nordstorm gift card.
• Attendees style their dinner tables differently to create a chic ambience. For their creativity, they get a chance to win a gift basket from Brown Sugar Collab.

How to attend: Tickets for the event are released in phases, first to members of the secret group, then to friends of members and finally to people on the waiting list.

• The event sells out quickly each year but anyone interested can sign up for the waitlist or follow them on social media for updates.
• There are thousands of people on the waitlist.

What’s next: Robertson wouldn’t provide any hints on the next location but she is paying attention to where people say they’d like to meet. 

• She tells us that a lot of people imagine Bank of America Stadium could be a possible next spot, given its capacity to host a large crowd.
• “We do our best to make sure people have fear of missing out but our goal is to make sure most of the people on the waitlist have an opportunity to experience it,” Robertson said.