Photo credit: Jennifer Heffner

On Saturday, August 25, 5,000 Washingtonians, donning their favorite summer whites, trekked towards the Navy Yard neighborhood and descended upon Nationals Park for the fifth Diner en Blanc DC, an annual festive event where the DC community comes together. Guests assembled picnic tables, chairs and breathtaking tablescapes throughout the upper and lower concourse levels of the stadium for the sole purpose of sharing a gourmet meal with old and new friends in a beautiful public space. Coldwell Banker of Washington, an event sponsor, conducted the tablescape competition and recognized an all-white curtain display adorned with a gravity-defying unicorn as the winning table design. D3 Staging Specialists of Washington was responsible for decorating the VIP lounge and outfitted the space with chic white furnishings. Dinner officially began with the traditional napkin wave at 6:45 p.m. and diners sipped on Champagne Jacquart and Pedroncelli wine, while munching on homemade picnic ensembles and catered baskets. At 8:30 p.m. the entire stadium lit up as guests decorated the sky with sparklers, marking the end of dinner. The evening continued as hundreds of guests dashed onto the baseball field diamond where a DJ was spinning pop hits. The Diner en Blanc pop-up picnic ended promptly at 10 p.m.Guests packed up their picnic essentials and left no trace behind. Event planners are already preparing for the sixth annual Diner en Blanc DC next summer.