On Friday, October 19, at 7 p.m., more than 3,500 white-clad San Franciscans waved their white napkins to signal the start of their meal. Le Dîner à San Francisco, a pop-up dinner inspired by the ultra-glam Dîner en Blanc (White Dinner) in Paris, comes to the City by the Bay but once a year.

The concept of a pop-up dinner is simple: At a secret location, guests wearing all-white clothing bring their own food and table settings and share a magical evening in their city. We dressed in our finest whites, packed our wine, three courses, tablecloths, flatware, and table decor and descended on San Francisco’s Marina Green. The secret location is announced only a few hours before the start of the picnic, and while it was a bit chilly, we had white blankets to bundle up in, good food, and great friends. Tickets were $25, with the option of $5 chair rental. To find a pop-up dinner in a city near you, visit Hand-Made Events.