The event was carried out with great decorum and when the picnic was over, everyone cleaned up after their own tables and then the party began and everyone danced to a kick-ass DJ till about 11pm. When they left, the park was immaculate. It was beyond cool and Greg thought, hey, why not bring this to Ottawa!
So we have!
Saturday, October 15th from 4pm - 11pm
Dress in your chicest black attire
Bring your own locally harvested food picnic feast
Invite 6 or 7 friends to join you in a pot luck picnic at your table.
Register here before September 28th: http://fs4.formsite.com/harvestnoir/form1/index.html
Below are the answers to the most frequently asked questions:
What is Harvest Noir?
Harvest Noir is a chic “dress your best in black” picnic feast celebrating the autumn harvest with food from local farms. It includes many surprises and live musical performances by a dance-oriented parade band, followed by a dance reception with a fabulous DJ, world-class circus performers and other innovative surprises.
When is Harvest Noir?
Harvest Noir will take place Saturday October 15 from 4-11pm. Previously, the event had been advertised for Sunday, October 16, 2011. The date has been moved to accommodate many prospective guests who had trouble getting baby-sitters on a Sunday evening.
Where is Harvest Noir?
The venue is one of the most architecturally important and stunning spaces in Canada, but we won’t tell you more than that right now – the secret location will be disclosed a few hours prior to the event. Let’s just say that you are going to be very pleased to get to dance in a very special space that you normally have to pay to visit. The picnic portion will be held outdoors while the reception will be held indoors.
Who is invited?
Up to 185 chefs de table, the VIP’s of the evening, will host tables of 8 (in total), inviting select friends and acquaintances for an evening of dining and dancing! Already registered are members of the media and the food, art and fashion communities.
Why attend Harvest Noir?
Harvest Noir is a unique opportunity to dress up creatively and inaugurate a remarkable new tradition with hundreds of other guests, feast on locally harvested food of our choosing with friends and community, while enjoying fabulous live entertainment, surprises and dance! Besides, our city badly needs newsworthy proof that we are capable of dressing to the nines: Ottawa has just been voted as the 8th worse-dressed city in the world, ranked worse than Jersey Shore - http://travel.ca.msn.com/photogallery.aspx?cp-documentid=30567563&page=3.
When should I register?
Before September 28th!
Where do I register?
Register securely for the guestlist using this form:http://fs4.formsite.com/harvestnoir/form1/index.html
How much does it cost?
$37 + tax. As you can imagine, there are great expenses associated with putting on this event – including top-quality DJ, band, and circus performers, plus rental fee for the indoor and outdoor venue, insurance, sound system, lighting, cloakroom, security, and tables for the picnic. A minimum of 500 attendees is required in order to proceed with the event. We’re aiming for this to become a recurring yearly event and we can only make this happen if everyone participates by inviting guests.
How do we reach 1000 guests?
- Please Like us and ask your guests to like us on Facebook here:https://www.facebook.com/harvestnoir?ref=ts
- Follow updates on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/harvestnoir
- Send invitations to friends, family, acquaintances – anyone with a sense of adventure whose company and conversation you enjoy.
- If one or more of your friends are “social butterflies” with lots of fun friends and would make great chefs de table as well (eg. with their table next to yours), you can suggest them to the event organizers at info@harvestnoir.com
- Send us any other creative promotional suggestions as well at info@harvestnoir.com
After paying the costs of the event, a percentage of proceeds will go to BioRegional North America, a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to facilitate the development of the greenest sustainable communities across Canada and the United States. Learn more here: http://www.bioregional.com/about-us/around-the-world/bioregional-north-america/ The Mysterious Events Company will retain an event management fee for organizing all of the evening’s logistics.
Who is hosting this event?
The Mysterious Events Company, headed by Ringmaster Greg Searle and Ringmistress Samantha Biron, with a crew of terrific helpers.
What inspired this event?
A 23-year tradition of genteel annual picnic dining and partying that originated in Paris and has been imported to Lyon, Amsterdam, Munich, Zurich, Berlin, New York City and Montreal.
What do I wear?
Guests must dress their best in black, head to toe. Be creative, be bold, with a retro-elegant theme wherever possible. Men, tuxedos are not necessary, but you will need to be inventive. Women are welcome to wear ball gowns, cocktail dresses or classy pant suits. Hats are not necessary but also encouraged for men and women! Here is a list of helpful links:
- Fashionable ladies HATS:http://www.chapeauxdemadeleine.ca/eng/homepage.htm
- Men’s formal wear: http://www.morrisformalwear.com/
In 23 years there has never been rain for a chic picnic! However, if Ottawa’s weather system conspires to break this streak, and we are blessed with moderate rain, guests will be encouraged to participate (as in other cities) with umbrellas. (We’re Canadians, a little October rain won’t stop us!) In the event of unbearable weather, guests will be advised that the picnic portion of the event is cancelled and we will proceed with the dance reception only but will still include the scheduled picnic entertainment.
How do I register as a Chef de Table or as a guest?
The registration form allows you to choose. You can sign up by yourself or with a friend and ask to be assigned to a table. You can indicate that you have been invited by a friend of yours who has already registered as a chef de table, so that you can join his or her table of friends. Or, you can apply yourself to be a VIP chef de table who will host up to 7 guests at your table.
What do I bring?
Chairs: The hosts will provide the tables (in other cities guests brought their own). Unless you hear otherwise, plan to bring folding chairs (not the canvas type). For those of you travelling by public transit, guests in other cities sometimes employed small folding luggage trolleys to help them convey picnic basket and chairs in a manageable package. Your chef de table will help you make arrangements.
Food: Preparing your fine dinner at home and toting it to the venue in a picnic basket, to be relished outdoors in the company of other bon vivants is an important part of the European chic picnic tradition. In the coming weeks, event organizers will be sending guests recipe tips and ideas for buying and preparing local food from the chefs of some of the region’s finest restaurants. Your chef de table has the option of coordinating food brought by all 8 diners at the table, creating a miniature “potluck”.
Place Settings: Diners also bring place settings, crystal, candles, and anything else needed to make the table as elegant and comfortable as possible, coordinated by the chef de table.
What about Parking?
Cost of parking is not included. There are at least 3 parking lots within close proximity of the event to choose from, starting at under $10 a day.
What about Car Pooling?
In the interests of trying to lower the environmental footprint of the event, we are encourage those guests arriving by car to car-pool. Additional information will be sent out to those guests who elect on the registration form to participate in car-pooling.
