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By Sym Posey | The Birmingham Times
For one night, Birmingham will trade its usual evening scenery for something a little more Parisian.
More than 1,000 guests, dressed entirely in white, will gather on Saturday, Sept. 12, for Dîner en Blanc Birmingham, an elegant pop-up picnic where the location remains a secret until the final moments.
The seventh edition will bring together food, fashion, music, and community under the theme “Une Soirée Parisienne — La Belle Époque,” an ode to one of Paris’ most elegant eras.
But this year’s gathering carries an added significance: It will be the final Dîner en Blanc Birmingham.
For Jasmine Allen, who has served as the event’s Birmingham host since its inception, the decision marks the end of one chapter and the beginning of another.
“I don’t look at it in a sad way at all,” Allen said. “I think that everything has its timing. And when it’s time to grow, it’s time to grow.”
Something Different
Allen first brought the internationally recognized event to Birmingham seven years ago after seeing an opportunity to add something different to the city’s social landscape.
“I reached out to them, and I was like, ‘Hey, I’m in this wonderful city called Birmingham, and I think this would just be a great event to add to our event landscape,’” Allen recalled.
She submitted a proposal to host the event in Birmingham, was awarded the contract and has helped produce the annual gathering ever since.
Dîner en Blanc is an international all-white pop-up picnic held in cities around the world. While the concept may appear simple — guests gather at a secret location for an evening dressed in white — Allen said the experience is intentionally different from a traditional party.
“It’s a unique event because you can either bring your items or you can order it and it be there for you,” she said.
Guests can bring their own tables, chairs and food or make arrangements through the event’s online portal to have those items waiting for them at the destination.
That sense of participation is part of what Allen believes makes Dîner en Blanc stand out.
The event begins with an elegant picnic atmosphere but, as the evening progresses, the formality gives way to celebration.
“Those pictures do not really do it justice,” Allen said. “We start off with the elegant picnic. But by the end of the night, you know, we swerving.”
For Allen, however, the most distinctive part of Birmingham’s Dîner en Blanc is not the fashion, food or secret location. It is the people.
“We are just a fun, loving group of people in Birmingham,” she said. “We don’t meet strangers.”
The seventh edition of Dîner en Blanc Birmingham will bring together food, fashion, music, and community. (Provided)Connection and Community
The event is designed around connection. Guests may sit with people they have never met, guided by table leaders who help organize and host each group.
This year, approximately 20 table leaders will help facilitate the experience, supported by group leaders and a head leader. Allen’s company, Rhino Events Agency, serves as the event’s promoter and producer, with a team of four Black women helping bring the celebration together.
That emphasis on community has helped Dîner en Blanc carve out its own place in Birmingham’s event landscape.
Allen said the event is particularly designed for adults between 30 and 60, while remaining welcoming to anyone looking for an evening centered on food, conversation, entertainment and connection.
“I can’t really think of another event, you know, an annual event in Birmingham that caters to that crowd,” she said.
National Musical Talent and More
The 2026 edition will also mark a first for the Birmingham event: the addition of national musical talent.
Grammy Award-winning singer Chrisette Michele will perform during the evening. Birmingham native D. Hill, Michele’s longtime musical director, will also be part of the event.
Allen said the addition reflects the event’s tradition of giving guests something new to experience each year.
“Every year we try to do something different than what we’ve done in the past,” she said. “So this will kind of be our new welcome, if you will.”
Michele is expected to perform during dinner, a change Allen is particularly excited to see unfold.
“I’m really interested to see how dinner goes, how our guests respond,” she said. “I’m hoping that they get up, go to the stage, and really give her some love.”
Adding to the evening’s elevated atmosphere will be Birmingham chef Lamar Lockett, who will serve as the featured culinary talent for the 2026 celebration.
Together, the music and culinary elements are designed to complement the event’s “Une Soirée Parisienne — La Belle Époque” theme.
The Dress Code
For guests unfamiliar with the aesthetic, Allen describes it as something reminiscent of the Roaring ’20s, with Art Deco influences, florals and statement hairstyles.
And while the location remains one of the evening’s biggest secrets, the dress code is anything but.
Guests are expected to arrive dressed entirely in white, embracing the timeless elegance that has become synonymous with Dîner en Blanc.
Tickets remain available, though attending requires a little more preparation than purchasing a traditional event ticket. Guests begin by providing their email address, which gives them access to the event portal where they can select tickets, seating preferences and optional food, tables and chairs.
Then comes the waiting game: the secret location is revealed shortly before the event.
For Birmingham guests who have watched Dîner en Blanc from afar, this is the year to make it happen. (Provided)What Comes Next
Dîner en Blanc Birmingham has evolved since its first gathering in 2019, including a pause during the COVID-19 pandemic before returning in 2021. After seven years, Allen said she is ready to see what comes next.
Rather than viewing the final Birmingham edition as an ending, Allen sees it as a transition. Following this year’s Dîner en Blanc, she plans to launch a new event designed to build on what Birmingham audiences have experienced over the past seven years.
“We have an event that we will introduce after Dîner en Blanc this year,” Allen said. “And it’s even better than what they have experienced in the past.”
For Birmingham guests who have watched Dîner en Blanc from afar — or, like many, spent years saying they would attend “next year” — this is the year to make it happen.
On Sept. 12, the tables will be set, the guests will be dressed in white, the music will play and, somewhere in Birmingham, a secret location will become the backdrop for the final Dîner en Blanc Birmingham.
Seven years after Allen first imagined the experience as a new addition to Birmingham’s event landscape, she is ready to close this chapter — and see what the next one brings.
To learn more about Dîner en Blanc, visit birmingham.dinerenblanc.com.
