Chic flash-mob picnic of foodies in white comes to Toronto

It was called Toronto's "most exclusive dinner date."

On Tuesday, September 27th, 400 people arrived at Toronto's Distillery District's cobblestone courtyard, all dressed in elegant white attire. The night marked Toronto's first flash-mob picnic. The Dîner en Blanc Society of Toronto chose the venue based on historic value, beauty and prestige.

"Imagine an evening filled with elegance and food in a secret location that is announced just hours before the event. Hundreds of people, dressed all in white and conducting themselves with the greatest decorum, elegance and etiquette, meet for a mass 'chic picnic' in a public space," states the event's unofficial site.

Dîner en Blanc originated in a Parisian public park in 1988. Since then, all-white picnics have popped up around the world. Canada's first ran in Montreal in 2009. Ontario's first took place in Niagara-on-the-Lake this August.

Toronto's version of the huge picnic included a cash bar, a DJ and large tables draped in white linens. Guests paid $25 for the alfresco potluck meal which organizers hope will evolve into a major annual foodie event.

"This is a very low-key, friend-of-friend kind of event," co-organizer Nicholas Wong said. "What happens is, every year you get invited again, and then more people and more people and more people [attend]."

See the photos from this week's picnic at the Toronto Star and watch a video from Niagara-on-the-Lake's white evening below.