Dinner in White celebrates art, with a view of the Columbia River

Tickets are available now for an event that aims to use a touch of elegance to highlight efforts to bring public art to Camas and Washougal.

The third annual Dinner in White will be held Saturday, Sept. 12, from 5 to 11 p.m., in its new location along the Columbia River at the scenic Marina Park in Washougal. For the past two years, Camas in White was held on Northeast Fourth Avenue in downtown Camas.

The event, which brings together people dressed all in white in styles ranging from casual to formal, has drawn upwards of 250 people each year and raises funds to support the Camas-Washougal Mural Project.

The festivities start with attendees decorating their table, followed by music and dancing, lawn games, wine and cocktails, and a silent auction.
Dinner starts at 7 p.m. with the traditional “waving of the white napkin.” Participants bring their own food, table decorations, and dinnerware. Tables and chairs are provided.

“We are thrilled to be working with the Port of Camas-Washougal to bring this vibrant and fun event to the community,” said organizer Monique Quaranta. “This event gives people the chance to support a local art cause while enjoying an elegant evening in white with the spectacular view, fun with old friends and meeting new ones, sipping on local wines, dancing, and playing yard games such as croquet to add to the festivities.”

Artwork created by participants in the Plein Air Art Event in downtown Camas on Sept. 5, will be auctioned off during the Dinner in White. There will be additional auction items, as well as a “Desert Dash.”

The Camas-Washougal Mural Project is part of the Clark County Mural Society, a group “dedicated to the creation of art that transforms public space and individual lives in our community.”

Dinner in White proceeds go to fund murals in Camas and Washougal. Projects that have already been completed include two in downtown Camas. The first, unveiled in December 2013, is located along Northeast Fourth Avenue and depicts the paper mill during the early 1900s.

The second, finished in July 2014, can be found on a building along Northeast Cedar Street. It depicts NASCAR driver and Camas High School graduate Greg Biffle and his No. 16 Ford Fusion. Both murals were painted by Maria Grazia Repetto.

The next mural will be located in downtown Washougal. According to Quaranta, the site currently being considered for the piece, which will highlight elements of the city’s history, is the Two Rivers Heritage Museum on Durgan Street.

General admission tickets for Dinner in White are $30 per person. VIP tickets, which include a catered meal, a reserved seat at a decorated table, and a complimentary drink ticket, can be purchased for $75 per person. Attendees must be ages 21 and older.

Dinner in White is modeled after the original “Diner en Blanc,” started in Paris 25 years ago.

To register or for more information about Dinner in White, visit www.dinnerinwhiteonthecolumbia.com.