One afternoon, every year, somewhere in Australia, hundreds of enthusiastic diners dressed in their finest whites, with a packed picnic basket in tow, descend on a secret location to take part in Le Diner en Blanc. It’s one of the fanciest picnics in the world that has been taking place globally since it began in Paris in 1988. And this year, Ballarat has the honours of hosting Australia’s al fresco affair on April 1.

Scoring a seat at this exclusive table is no easy feat. Limited tickets are available to this year’s dinner. If you’re keen to attend, you can now join the waitlist for tickets via the Le Diner en Blanc Ballarat website. Do keep in mind that you will have to bring along your own (and specifically white) table, chairs, tablecloth, food, stemware and dinnerware. If you want to make your life a little easier, table and chair hire is available, as are catered gourmet hampers that can be pre-ordered and collected on site. 

To ensure that the location secret is kept undisclosed until last minute, guests will meet at assigned departure locations around Melbourne and are escorted or transported by coach with the guidance of a Diner en Blanc table leader.

Come night fall, once dinner has finished, diners will party the night away and can take part in the iconic napkin twirl and sparklers. If you like an element of surprise, good food, and a fun time, this one’s for you.

For more information and to register, visit dinerenblanc.com/ballarat 

Related story: Hotel Vera has opened its doors in Ballarat and its as good as it looks