Didn't get invited to Dîner en Blanc? Wear your "blackest clothes" to Ce Soir Noir

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      Love it or hate it, Dîner en Blanc is probably one of the most-Instagrammed events of the year in Vancouver.

      But you have to work your way up a long waitlist to attend this annual outdoor gala, where everyone wears white and allegedly conducts themselves with the "greatest decorum, elegance, and etiquette".

      For everyone else, there's a new event in town: Ce Soir Noir.

      This alternative gathering where everyone wears black is also scheduled for August 25.

      According to its Facebook event page, the picnic will take place at CRAB Park in the Downtown Eastside, starting at 6 p.m.

      Read the hilarious event description:

      This is no chic-picnic. It’s actually not fancy whatsoev. It’s also free. We are here to invite you to a democratic gathering in Crab Park on Tuesday, the 25th of August. The task at hand is simple – dress head-to-toe in your blackest clothes, grab some friends, some food and beverages, a big blanket and set yourself down for the evening for peaceful resplendence in one of Vancouver’s finest parks.

      You must be warned however: There will be gay people here. And Latinos. Lots of them. Some Persian folks. Native people. Students with massive debt. A handful of Greek people. The dreaded Quebequois. Some Swedes. A smattering of Peruvians and even worse, some white people that work in IT.

      This is an evening of a resounding positive community eating dinner together. An ad-hoc, barely-even-organized, family-friendly event.

      This might be a good evening to leave your dog at home, because no creature in history has loved picnics more and things could get very dicey if a ton of people come out. BUT SERIOUSLY – NO DOGS, even though they are so damn cute.

      Rather than being a candle lit affair please only bring those tiny crappy battery powered fake plastic candle lights or any other battery powered glowing lights. Let’s not light the park or anyone’s hair or pashmina afghan on fire.

      *This is not a Rain or Shine event. Not even close. If it’s raining - it’s a Netflix night. (still tax free, Thx Stevie)

      *Important! Please take with you all that you arrived with. A cleanup crew has already been organized to ensure the park is left as pristine as possible.

      *We ask that you also bring an item of non-perishable food to donate. We are looking to partner with the Food Bank and they will be on site in a clearly marked area accepting food donations. There are some people out there that could use some extra help, so why don't we help?

      All black clothing. Food. Drink. Friends. Big Blankie. Tuesday, August 25th. 6pm.

      See you there?

      Update (August 26): For photos from the events, see the following posts:

      Comments

      17 Comments

      Kudos to the organizers..

      Aug 12, 2015 at 12:53pm

      this seems infinitely less douchey than Diner en Blanc.

      Rampop

      Aug 12, 2015 at 1:24pm

      I'm 100% behind this event. Vancouver needs more inclusive fun things, unlike Diner en Blanc which seem to be created with the explicit purpose of being exclusive.

      recanted

      Aug 12, 2015 at 7:32pm

      Québéquois?

      Meatballs

      Aug 12, 2015 at 8:15pm

      Fuck don't tell the seagulls....

      Suck it up

      Aug 12, 2015 at 10:28pm

      If this is so wonderful, why didn't it happen on it's own? Why does it have to be in retaliation to Diner en Blanc? It's a pretty stupid way to pretend to have fun and seems more like faking that you're having an awesome time when you accidentally run in to an ex. Pathetic.

      uh

      Aug 13, 2015 at 2:19am

      It's not pretending to have fun. Diner en blanc is pretending to have fun

      James Alig

      Aug 13, 2015 at 8:40am

      Yo lets all go to an equally lame dinner outside hosted by some art losers from the local scene to be seen mang.

      How about no.

      @Suck it up

      Aug 13, 2015 at 8:51am

      "If this is so wonderful, why didn't it happen on it's own?"

      I plan on writing about book along your reasoning. "If the Civil Rights movement is so wonderful, why did it need a legacy of slavery to happen?"

      Xander Davis

      Aug 13, 2015 at 12:32pm

      Definitely beatnik from the 1950s Paris and San Francisco.

      All-black? Cool, man!!

      cathy

      Aug 13, 2015 at 1:17pm

      Ha ha-too funny!
      If anything deserved to be mocked, it's the elitist stupid 'Dîner en Blanc'.

      Will be there in black with a black rice noodle salad to share-served in black bowls.
      So glad the Swedes were mentioned in the description-maybe i'll bring some Swedish black bread as well!

      Hope lots gets donated to the Food Bank.