White knight saves sodden Diner en Blanc - The Canberra Times

IT'S BILLED as a ''chic pop-up picnic'' with ''decorum, elegance, and etiquette'', but rain and storms forced soggy Diner en Blanc participants to flee the scenic shores of Lake Burley Griffin to the safety of the Canberra Centre on Saturday night.

The event, put on by Events ACT as part of the Enlighten festival, is only in its second year in Canberra, having popped up in locations around the world since the concept began in Paris 25 years ago.

As more than 800 eager white-clad diners were bussed into the secret location - Rond Terrace - from their meeting points, and the early birds began setting up their white tables, the rain began to fall.

Organisers huddled in discussion as the showers became a downpour, and with ponchos proving inadequate protection, the waiting diners abandoned their tables to take shelter.

Just as the event threatened to become Diner en Bus, the Canberra Centre came to the rescue, hosting the damp diners on the ground floor of the shopping mall.

''We were worried about Diner en Bus,'' diner Craig Perrott said. ''It might have been better if they'd thought this one through just a fraction earlier.''

The contingency plan proved slightly less of an unusual scenario for Mr Perrott and his colleague. ''We regularly eat lunch here, but downstairs usually,'' Alyce Fenwick said from a level above the food court.

But they were as grateful as the organisers for the last-minute location, having not had a back-up plan for the event, which proclaims to go ahead regardless of the weather.

''It was not really a summer sprinkle or shower, it was a bit of a downpour, so we had to make a move,'' Adelina La Vita of Events ACT said .

''We need to think about public safety - that's our number one concern - so when you see lightning and thunderstorms and electrical equipment, the two don't mix.''

The rain and change of location didn't dampen the spirits of the diners, many of whom had made a head start on their wines and champagne long before the ''napkin wave'' signified the start of the BYO picnic dinner.

By the time the dinner and dancing were done, the storm had passed and the diners returned outdoors, although only briefly, for the Diner en Blanc signature lighting of sparklers.