Diner en Blanc: Boston EN BLANC!

Boston: Can you keep a secret???

The World’s Most Elegant Picnic Celebrates its 5^thEdition in Boston on Sept. 9

BOSTON, MA (August 25, 2018) – A leading summer event in Paris for the past 30 years, this elegant and secret affair is now well on its way to becoming THE Fall tradition in Boston. On September 9^th, Le Dîner en Blanc - Boston celebrates its 5^th anniversary. 

Year after year, the breathtaking scene of thousands of white-clad guests descending upon one of the city most prestigious public space becomes more extraordinary for guests and passerby alike.

To maintain the uniqueness of Le Dîner en Blanc as well as staying true to tradition, guests must observe certain requirements and follow a few key rules:

• Once confirmed, each guest’s participation becomes mandatory, regardless of weather conditions.  This is a rain or shine event.
• Dress code:  head-to-toe in elegant and white only attire.  Originality is encouraged as long as it is stylish and tasteful.
• Table setting:  all white!
• To ensure that the location secret is kept undisclosed until last minute, guests meet at assigned departure location and are escorted by a Dîner en Blanc volunteer.
• In order to leave the event location as clean as when they arrived, guests are required to leave with all their belongings, leftovers and litter.

About Dîner en Blanc

2018 marks the 30^th anniversary of Le Dîner en Blanc de Paris! Launched in Paris in 1988 by François Pasquier and a handful of friends, Le Dîner en Blanc has become a worldwide epicurean phenomenon. Dîner en Blanc - Paris now attracts over 10,000 people each year. What was a “friends and word-of-mouth only” event has grown into an international sensation celebrated on six continents. While the technology behind the event may have changed over the years, the principles fuelling this fantastic event have not: guests continue to gather at a secret location for the sole purpose of sharing a gourmet meal with good friends in one of their city’s most beautiful public spaces.  Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Montreal, Canada, Dîner en Blanc International is responsible for developing this secret posh picnic in close to 80 cities in 30 countries around the world. Each event is headed by passionate local organizers who fell in love with the concept and wanted to bring it to their city, giving this rendezvous a local flair. For more info, photos and videos of Dîner en Blanc events from around the world, visit dinerenblanc.com.

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College Fashion Week 2017

College Fashion Week brought the catwalk to Boston in the always stylish Royale. The color pallette was simple yet unique, consisting of a deep plum along with the classics: black and white. This year's College Fashion Week was the place to be to discover all of the latest fashion trends right in the heart of downtown Boston. The runway models took center stage to reveal some of the year's very best looks. The brand represents women of all shapes, sizes, and from all walks of life. The theme was that diversity is embraced, a truly beautiful message. The 2017 show featured the latest style trends along with a plethora of sponsors as shown below: 

Fashion, Accessories and Footwear: Primark
Beauty Retailer: Ulta Beauty
Beauty Hair Care + Hair Tools: Bed Head by TIGI
Makeup: IT Cosmetics
Beverage: Spindrift Sparkling Water
Travel: StudentUniverse
Media: POPSUGAR
Contact Lens: ACUVUE® Brand Contact Lenses
Snacks: Kettle Brand Chips, Shake Shack, Boxed Water, Sweet Thangs Cafe
Entertainment: Universal Music Group, Island Records
App: Lust Have
Fashion Partner Outreach: Foray Collective

It was a celebration of style and fashion in Boston! Watch for all the latest coverage of fashion in Boston right here!

Fall into Fashion: Eileen Fisher

The Red Balloon recently attended an inside look at Eileen Fisher's upcoming fall line.

This sneak peak revealed some new colors, fabrics, and styles. Some exclusive photos from the new line are here:




The Eileen Fisher mantra is that everything follows a system, meaning that everything is meant to be interchangeable in a sense. You are able to mix and match as you see fit. Many of the clothing is from a Italian designer and has a very European feel.



Some of the current fashion forward items in the store:









Here's to falling into fashion!

Sights & Sounds: Part 8

The Boston Wine Expo

The Boston Wine Expo will return February 13th-14th. The annual event if celebrating its 25th anniversary and no doubt there will be plenty of wine from around the world. Attendees of the Grand Tasting on Sunday will experience not just wine from over 200 producers but also food from across the globe. The Grand Tasting floor is dividing into different countries and The Red Balloon did enjoy spending Sunday in "Italy" as the wine and food experience is second to none. It is truly like being taken to another country...no passport needed! 

Check back soon for The Red Balloon's Boston Wine Expo full review!

The Lunar New Year

In honor of the Lunar New Year, the Lion Dance Parade will take place on Sunday, February 21st in Chinatown.

Hail Caesar!

The latest film by the Cohen brothers (which doesn't seem like a Cohen brothers film at all) is now playing in theaters. Starring George Clooney among a ton of other celebrities.

Happy Valentine's Day weekend!

~The Red Balloon

Top of the Hub

The Red Balloon recently visited the Top of the Hub. The restaurant offers ambiance unknown in most other places around the city of Boston. A perfect spot for lunch, dinner, or a late night drink. There is no denying that sunset offers a perfect time to see the city aglow in a whole new light, from 52 floors above the city!

The view is truly spectacular. Whatever the season, Top of the Hub, is a great spot to dine. The food is exceptional and the atmosphere top notch. A nightly jazz ensemble adds another element of sophistication to the Top of the Hub's lounge. Whatever the occasion, Top of the Hub is the place to see Boston like no where else!

Love Letters

"I feel most alive when I'm holed up in some corner, writing things down. I pick up a pen, and almost immediately everything seems to take shape around me. I love to write. I love writing my parents because then I become the ideal son. I love writing essays for English, because then I am for a short while a true scholar. I love writing letters to the newspaper, notes to friends, Christmas cards, anything where I have to put down words. I love writing you. You most of all. I always have. I feel like a true lover when I'm writing you. This letter, which I'm writing with my own hand, with my own pen, in my own penmanship, comes from me and no one else, and is a present of myself to you. It's not typewritten, though I've learned how to type. There's no copy of it, though I suppose I could use a carbon. And it's not a telephone call, which is dead as soon as it is over. No, this is just me, me the way I write, the way my writing is, the way I want to be to you, giving myself to you across a distance, not keeping or retaining any part of it for myself, giving this piece of myself to you totally, and you can tear me up and throw me out, or keep me, and read me today, tomorrow, any time you want until you die."
                                                                                           ~Andy, (read by Ryan O'Neal)

The above is among one of the Red Balloon's favorite quotes from last evening's opening night performance of Love Letters in Boston.

If you have the opportunity to see Love Letters in person, the performances by Ryan O'Neal and Ali MacGraw are exceptional. The chemistry between the pair is unseen in between actors and actresses in most modern day films. The electricity between them leaps off the stage. Interestingly enough, the two never actually look at one another. Sitting side by side, reading letter after letter, the two speaks volumes without exchanging so much as a glance in the other's direction. What is so powerful is both the performances by the pair and the script, A.R. Gurney's everlasting romance, each line written so poetically. Experience the poetry for yourself, just in time for Valentine's Day!

Love Letters is playing at the Boston Shubert Theater through February 7th.

                         

Hyatt Regency: Inside Look

The Hyatt Regency Cambridge at 575 Memorial Avenue offers an extensive array of spaces for hosting events. They've recently remodeled and The Red Balloon takes you on an inside look of the hotel.

The Riverside Pavilion offers a white tent with French windows. The space offers both modern and classic charm to create an elegant and timeless space. See for yourself how beautiful it is:

Conveniently located along the Charles River, the Riverside Pavilion offers an impressive space for you and your guests as well as a selection of food and drink that is in a category of its own.

For those who are looking for a space with a view of high above the city, the Hyatt offers a variety of options including the 14th floor's Empress Ballroom. Here is a view from the ballroom:

As if that's not enough, on the 16th floor, you will find the Charles View Ballroom, which offers 180 degree panoramic views of Boston. Fun fact: that space used to belong to Boston's only restaurant that spun (yes it is true.) The restaurant was named the Spinnaker. The restaurant may not be there anymore but the view remains the same. See below why they call it the Charles "View" Ballroom:

And the food is nothing short of amazing.

The Hyatt Regency Cambridge transforms spaces into places. The Hyatt has everything covered for all of your event needs to make your special occasion a lasting memory.

Happy Hosting!

MFA Boston

On January 18th, the Museum of Fine Arts Boston will be hosting an open house which means admission is free. Here's a look at some photos from the museum:

The photo is from the Annual Persian New Year Festival that take place at the museum in March.

Above, one of the sculptures from Spanish realist Antonio Lopez Garcia. Fun face: both sculptures at the museum were modeled after his grandchildren.

The Garden of the Heart of Heaven reopened in April of 2015.

A photo from outside the Garden of the Heart of Heaven.