This Saturday at 3 p.m., hundreds of diners will receive an email that will reveal the location of Handmade Events' first PopUp Miami dinner. They will have two hours to pack their picnic and creative centerpieces and get themselves to the secret location.
Tables and chairs are provided, but it will be on guests to prepare a picnic for friends, as well as something to share. For those lazy chefs out there, we recommend heading to Whole Foods' prepared meal section and picking up a quick salad or platter. All attendees have been asked to bring creative centerpieces such as candelabras or vases full of flowers and to wear white so that the night looks like something straight out of Food & Wine magazine.
Beginning at 5 p.m., guests will be checked in. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis, so arrive early if you want to sit with your whole group. Around 7 p.m., dinner and drinks will officially begin, and at 9 p.m., the dance floor will open up with music from DJ Zen Freeman. The event organizers, who have hosted similar dinners across the country, say what typically happens is that as the night progresses, guests from separate parties begin mingling and sharing food until the night turns into one big bash.
The dinner is part of a tradition that began in San Francisco in 2011. At that event, attendees dressed in head-to-toe white.
Because of City of Miami regulations regarding alcohol and open containers, PopUp Miami diners will not be able to bring their own beverages to the event venue. Instead, there will be wine, sparkling wine, and water for sale by the bottle. Don't worry -- the prices won't be jacked up. We checked out the list and were pleased with more than ten choices of reds, whites, and a Brut Cava. Coffee will come courtesy of Juan Valdez.
The dinner, presented by Acura, ends at 10 p.m., and guests are encouraged to bring trash bags and take as much as they can home with them. Acura drivers will get a special VIP gift if they flash their car key at check-in. Tickets are available for $60 at eventbrite.com.
The event is expected to draw 500-plus attendees and will benefit Pérez Art Museum Miami. This leads us to believe the event will be hosted somewhere on PAMM property, though organizers have been tight-lipped about the location. They did reveal it will take place in Miami proper and not in Miami Beach. Where do you think the event will happen? Let us know your best guest in the comments below. Or email [email protected] for more information.
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