Renaissance

Gallery: The 'White Party' Pops Up at the Heidelberg Project

August 17, 2015, 12:52 AM by  Allan Lengel

Imagine if you will, in the very worn east side neighborhood of Detroit where the famed Heidelberg Project sits, a party breaks out in the street and the grass, with lots of tables draped with white table cloths and good food and hundreds of people dressed in all white.

That was what happened Sunday, starting around 5 p.m. in what is called the annual "Diner en Blanc," which is French for White Dinner,  though the event is more commonly known as the "White Party" because everyone -- or almost everyone -- is dressed in all white.

Last year, it was held at Eastern Market. Other venues in previous years have included Belle Isle, Cadillac Place, the state building on West Grand Blvd.,  and the old Tiger Stadium grounds. This was the fifth year.

I was invited by Fox 2's M.L. Elrick, who was accompanied by wife Tresa Baldas of the Free Press, their two teen daughters and their friends. 

It all began in 1988, according to the website Untapped Cities, when a Frenchman Francois Pasquier invited a group of friends to an elegant outdoor dinner, and only disclosed the location at the last minute. To find each other in the park, everyone wore white.

Today, the event spans five continents. The idea is for people to "flash gather" and set up a temporary, elegant dining area and then after several hours, clean up and move on.

Elrick, who has attended previous dinners,  told me that he got an anonymous invite in the mail about a month ago. He said he's not sure who the organizers actually are. He was told to invite 10 people and then have those people invite 10 people. No location was given.

About a week ago, he said he was notified of the location: The Heidelberg Project, an outdoor art project on Heidelberg Street, off of Gratiot. He then spread the word. 

Folks, white and black (perhaps the "White Party" is not the best of names)  converged on the site from the suburbs and city Sunday evening with tables and table cloths and lots of food and booze and appetizer and desserts. People in the neighborhood also joined in. 

Tyree Guyton, founder of the project, said party organizers called about a week ago to discuss having the event on the street. He thought it was a great idea, and he was happy about how it turned out.

Hundreds came for the festivities Sunday night.

People looked as though they were preparing for a wedding.

People feast on good food.

Otila Bell lives on the block in a home she calls "The Yellow House." She charges people $1 to sign her house and she was out Sunday selling cold drinks.

More prepping for the big event.

What's an event without a selfie?

 

Cartoon characters appear amused by the festivities.

Wherever folks walked around, they saw art.

One resident had a clear message.

Tyree Guyton, founder of the Heidelberg Project, poses in the middle with a turquoise T-shirt.

Beyond the festivities is a distressed east-side neighborhood.

Guest videotapes the festivities with her phone.



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