ThisWeek UA 09/15/2011
A little piece of Paris is coming to central Ohio.
Shawnie Kelley and Mandy Jones, sisters and teachers of cooking and travel programs for Upper Arlington LifeLong Learning, are working with their friend Genevieve Reiner to host Fête en Blanc, or the white feast, on Sept. 23.
The feast will be held at a location disclosed only hours ahead of time, according to the event’s Facebook page. The event was inspired by the annual Parisian Diner en Blanc; a clandestine picnic that boasts as many as 10,000 participants arriving en masse to picnic just outside locations such as the Louvre and Notre Dame.
“(Reiner) sent us an article in July about the 26-year-old Diner en Blanc and suggested we do something similar,” Kelley said. “It was almost a no-brainer given the nature of the people in Columbus and how we’re becoming such a foodie city.”
The three organizers established their roles quickly, according to Kelley, because they wanted the first event to occur this year.
“Part of why we wanted to jump on it was that we started our Facebook page and immediately got tons of fans and an overwhelming response of enthusiasm, so we knew we really needed to get our act together,” Kelley said. “(Reiner) is spearheading the planning, (Jones) is handling all of the entertainment for the evening, and if you are interacting online with us, you’re most likely working with me. I’m heading up our social media.”
The organizers said the event is BYOE — Bring Your Own Everything: chairs, tables, linens and place settings.
Those attending the event are expected to be dressed all in white attire and show up either with a self-packed picnic or one purchased in advance from event sponsor, Hills Market. According to Reiner, the group will “celebrate a love of food and Columbus with an expanded circle of friends.”
Jones said the event is the perfect excuse to break the rules and wear white after Labor Day.
“We’re going for an upscale picnic, but with a decidedly Columbus flair,” Reiner said. “We want people to feel comfortable but still dress up, and to expect the unexpected. It isn’t every day that you get 300 people dressed in white having a surprise pop-up picnic, dancing to a local band and then disappearing without a trace.”
The event requires pre-registration with a $10 fee, and is limited to 300 attendees. A waitlist has already been established. Anyone interested in being placed on the waitlist or who would like to attend future events should contact the organizers at FeteEnBlancColumbus@gmail.com.
“Everyone is really excited and completely embracing this,” Jones said. “I think we’re going to have a really fun and cool event.”