WHITE NIGHT: Last week, Diner en Blanc, Vancouver鈥檚 largest outdoor dinner party, drew a record 6,000 attendees lucky enough to snap up invitations to Concord Pacific Plaza, the secret location revealed for the annual pop-up picnic. Fronted by Vancity鈥檚 maestros of fun, Tyson Villeneuve and Jordan Kallman of the Social Concierge, the alfresco celebration 鈥� a highlight of the summer season 鈥� saw revellers all dressed in white converge on False Creek for the Parisian-inspired fete of food and culture. Greeted by circus entertainers and a lineup of local DJs, dancers and musicians, the DIY party has always culminated with the traditional lighting of the night with sparklers. Tripling the approximately 2,000 diners that assembled at Jack Poole Plaza for the inaugural running, the fifth instalment was also Canada鈥檚 biggest Diner en Blanc celebration to date.
QUEER POSE: The 麻豆传媒映画Queer Film Festival 鈥� the city鈥檚 second largest cinematic celebration 鈥� recently wrapped. Steered by festival programmer Shana Myra and newly-appointed executive director Stephanie Goodwin, the cinematic celebration presented some 70 films, forums and pink carpet parties. This year鈥檚 centrepiece film was Strike A Pose, a documentary of a controversial documentary, Truth or Dare, filmed 25 years ago starring Madonna and her talented, mainly gay male back up dancers. The men reveal the truth about life with the pop icon and the making of the notorious film, noted for pushing gay culture into the mainstream. A capacity crowd piled into the 麻豆传媒映画Playhouse for the tell-all screening with special guests Jose 鈥淴travaganza鈥� Gutierez and Kevin Stea, two of the dancers on that momentous Blonde Ambition tour. 聽
FIELD NOTES: After his James Beard-nominated first cookbook, Araxi executive chef James Walt debut his much-anticipated follow-up, Araxi: Roots to Shoots, Farm Fresh Recipes at his yearly Araxi Longtable Dinner in Pemberton. Walt, along with restaurant director Neil Henderson and wine director Samantha Rahn, welcomed a record 400 guests to the single largest long table in British Columbia history. Wind gusts and a pop-up shower did not dampen the spirits of attendees to the sixth staging of the rustic farm-to-table feast at the base of majestic Mount Currie. Walt served up a few highlights from his 232-page book, including his signature North Arm Farm squash blossoms and grilled beef tenderloin with green tomato salsa.
