For the second year in a row, the organizers of Ce Soir Noir are inviting Vancouverites to collectively thumb their noses at Dîner en Blanc.

The first “no-chic picnic” event was put together last August by local artists Graeme Berglund and George Vergette, who wanted to offer a free and inclusive alternative to the trendy and ticketed Dîner experience.

The response, Berglund said, was staggering.

“We thought it was maybe going to be attended by a few dozen friends, but it really took off on social media,” he told CTV News. “We ended up getting 1,500 out for the event.”

The come-one, come-all concept is simple: attendees in all-black are invited to bring their own dinner down to Crab Park, lay down a blanket and enjoy the atmosphere.

“We’re not providing anything,” Berglund laughed. “I guess the irony of the event is we’re inviting people to a park to do what people do at a park anyway.”

The organizers initially imagined Ce Soir Noir as a one-off, but as the date of last week’s Dîner en Blanc event neared, the pair said inquiries started pouring in about a potential sequel.

They also saw an opportunity to do some good.

With the gorgeous waterfront view in Crab Park threatened by a proposed expansion of the Port of Vancouver, Berglund said Ce Soir Noir will be a chance for people who might not be familiar with the area to understand what’s at stake.

“A lot of people aren’t even aware of [Crab Park] because it’s kind of tucked away, but it’s really stunning,” he said. “It’s a special place.”

As they did in the premiere event, the organizers will also be encouraging attendees to bring non-perishable food or cash donations for Backpack Buddies, which helps feed children in the Downtown Eastside who only have access to meager meals on weekends, if any at all.

Berglund said foods that are kid-oriented work best, “like fruit roll-ups as opposed to tomato paste.”

The second Ce Soir Noir is being held at 5 p.m. on Aug. 30, almost two weeks after Dîner en Blanc. Berglund said they didn’t want to foster an atmosphere of competition with the larger event, which he admits has a certain appeal.

“There’s this feel of elitism around it,” he said,” but at the same time I think the really positive thing is it shows, in an otherwise socially cold city, a really phenomenal desire for people to come together and meet some strangers and share a meal.”