Dîner en Blanc, the rules-riddled flash mob dinner that requires everyone to wear all-white, is coming back to D.C. on Aug. 29. Originally founded in Paris, the pop-up phenomenon, which hosts “chic picnics” in public spaces all around the world, debuted in D.C. last year. The organizers don’t reveal the location until hours before the event (last year it was at Yards Park overlooking the Anacostia River), then the masses flee to the site with their own tables and picnics in tow.

The event costs $37 plus an $8 membership. Amazingly, that price doesn’t include any food, drink, or even a chair to sit in. Last year, a Y&H contributor spent nearly $300 on the affair. Guests are expected to bring pretty much everything, including a square, foldable table (between 28 and 32 inches) with a white tablecloth and white chairs. Not only are guests required to wear all white, but they must “be dressed elegantly,” according to the group’s website. “Originality is encouraged as long as it stays stylish and denotes taste.”

And heaven forbid you pick up some Popeyes and eat on paper plates. Your picnic basket should be “comprised of quality menu items and china dinner service.”

If you’re into all that, you can get on the waiting list—yes, there’s already a waiting list—here.

UPDATE: A publicist for the event claims the waitlist for D.C.’s Dîner en Blanc is 13,000 people long. That is not a typo.

Photo by Laura Hayes