Dîner en Blanc is an elegant large-scale picnic that takes place at an undisclosed location that isn’t revealed until the last minute. The tradition started in 1988 when François Pasquier and a few friends gathered for an fancy outdoor dinner and were told to wear white so they could easily locate each other. Dîner en Blanc then made its way to the U.S., and is enjoyed by millions in cities across the world. This is the third installation on Long Island.
Donyshia Boston-Hill, one of the main hosts, said the goal was to showcase Long Island as a tourist destination showing more than just the Hamptons. This year’s diverse crowd, which swelled up to around 2,000 attendees, experienced the 145-acre property in the heart of Long Island’s Gold Coast. Boston-Hill was happy with the diversity, and next year is aiming to increase diversity among generations too.
“I’ve been trying to find the millennials on Long Island,” said Boston-Hill. “With millennials it’s a little harder because they either stay for college and then kind of escape or go away for college and then never come back.”
Boston-Hill said she is working with Minority Millennials to try and encourage the next generation to show up, connect and take part in the festivities.
“They’re the next generation, so we have to help each other and lift them up and expose them to different cultural aspects and that’s what it’s all about,” said Boston-Hill. “So hopefully there’s more millennials out there. We’d love to have them.”
Millennials like Chante Jordan, who happens to works in public relations, attended the event and said that making more Instagrammable moments could be key to increasing millennial turnout.
Overall, Boston-Hill was happy that people of different backgrounds were able to connect and enjoy a night out.
“It’s not just about only my friends, community and network,” said Boston-Hill “We have to ensure that we connect with others that are like-minded, and that we put aside our differences to sit together under the stars and be here for peace, love and joy.”
For more information on Dîner en Blanc on Long Island you can click here.
