For the 12th edition of Philadelphia’s all-white soiree, Dîner en Blanc, more than 5,000 guests gather at LOVE Park for an evening under the summer sun.

The impromptu picnic, where guests must wear all white clothing (no off-white, beige or ivory allowed), will take place at Center City Plaza, another new location for the event, which has been held at Rittenhouse Square, the Please Touch Museum and the Navy Yard in previous years.

It is held outdoors in all weather conditions and participants must bring their own picnic tables, table and table linens, dishes and food to the event.

Before launching in Philly in 2012, Dîner en Blanc was started in a Paris park in 1988 by a group of friends who agreed to wear white so they could easily recognize each other from a distance.

The first event in Philly drew 1,300 guests to Logan Circle, and over the years the city has been home to the largest Dîner en Blanc in the country. The 2017 attendance of 5,300 people set a record, and in 2019 the event welcomed a total of 6,000 guests. Last year the event was sold out, with more than 5,000 people in attendance, organizers said.

Tickets for this year’s pop-up picnic are $53 plus a $14 membership fee.

While skeptics criticize the high costs, strict rules and snobbish atmosphere of the soiree, many attendees rave about the party’s festive and celebratory atmosphere.

On Thursday, about 5,000 people will flock to LOVE Park with picnic tables on their backs, baskets full of tablecloths and dinnerware, and coolers full of snacks for another festive evening in Center City.