A massive party will take place in a secret location in Providence this month: Le Diner en Blanc makes its debut in R.I. – The Boston Globe

PROVIDENCE — On Aug. 31, throngs of people dressed all in white and carrying picnic supplies are expected to take to the streets of Providence and search the city for a pop-up party. They won’t know the exact location until they arrive.

This secret soiree is called Le Diner en Blanc — “dinner in white” in French — and it’s a flash mob that takes place annually in 120 cities across the globe. The event started in 1988 in Paris, and has graced one grand venue after the next. The event spread to Montreal in 2009, and then to New York City in 2011 for its US debut, which organizers say triggered a worldwide infatuation with the get together. This is the first time it will be held in Rhode Island.

Interested guests can get on the event’s “fan” list by signing up on Le Diner en Blanc’s website.

Attendees have to dress head-to-toe in white, and elaborate and original looks are encouraged. Guests must bring their own chairs, linens, tables, plates, flatware, and food. According to the organizers, everything other than the food also must be white, though some tablescapes feature silver, glass, and crystal as well.

Bring a picnic basket with fine food, or order a catered picnic basket from Neighborhood Kitchen through the event’s online store and pick it up on site. Guests cannot bring their own alcohol, but if they want wine or Champagne at the French-influenced event they must reserve their selections, provided by Kobrand Fine Wine & Spirits, through the event’s online store.

Le Diner en Blanc has been held in Boston for more than a decade, in locations such as City Hall Plaza, the Moakley Federal Courthouse, and the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway. But this is the first year the party is coming to Providence. Rhode Island’s inaugural event will be hosted by Ashley McGowan, Kaitlyn O’Connor, and Kathy Lucas, who said Le Diner en Blanc is an opportunity to get dressed up, share a meal and conversation, toast to the city, dance under the stars, and reunite with old friends or make new ones.

All three women are veterans of the hospitality and entertainment industry, and have co-hosted Le Diner en Blanc in Boston.

“Providence, with its rich history and vibrant community, is the perfect backdrop for the inaugural event,” the hosts said.

The details of Le Diner en Blanc Rhode Island are under wraps, but past events in other cities have featured fireworks, musical performances, and other entertainment.

Alexa Gagosz can be reached at alexa.gagosz@globe.com. Follow her @alexagagosz and on Instagram @AlexaGagosz.