2026 Soirée en Blanc (Evening in White)

Norfolk Sister City Association’s Toulon, France Committee is pleased to announce that its annual Soirée en Blanc will be held on Thursday, Sept. 17th*, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Come experience this traditional French outdoor evening event in which the attire and décor are white. Guests will enjoy the ambience of beautiful music en plein air, good conversation, and their own food, drinks, and wine, or pre-purchased boxed dinners. For those bringing their own meal, you may arrive at 6 p.m. to set up. To add to the excitement, the location in Norfolk is kept a surprise until it is announced 24 hours prior!

At this signature event, we will also be celebrating the 50th anniversary of The Norfolk Sister City Association which was incorporated on September 2, 1976. Our sister city relationships began in 1959 when Norfolk and Kitakyushu, Japan first became affiliated. Today we celebrate our 9 sister city relationships which continue to foster understanding, friendship, cultural exchange and cooperation.

Ticket Information Member tickets are $35 per person; Non-member tickets are $45 per person. Guests have the option to purchase a single ticket or a group of tickets for either an 8-seat table or a 10-seat table. Our optional Boxed Dinners are being provided by Baker’s Crust. Disposable plates, cutlery and napkins are included in each box. Bottled water will be available. The deadline to purchase tickets and boxed dinners is Mon., Sept. 7th.

• Dinner Box 1 $38: Starter: Caprese; Main: Chicken piccata with garlic cream pasta; Dessert: Cheesecake Squares
• Dinner Box 2 $39: Starter: Antipasto skewer; Main: Pork tenderloin with roasted red potatoes and asparagus; Dessert: Lemon Bar 
• Dinner Box 3 $42: Starter: Caprese; Main: Medium steak with mashed potatoes and broccoli; Dessert: Brownie 

Sponsorship / Contribution Opportunities: For those interested in sponsoring this event, it would be most appreciated to help offset the expenses of the event, including the tables and chairs rental. Your sponsorship will be recognized in event publicity as well as announced during the event. Norfolk Sister City Association is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and all sponsorships are tax deductible. We are also seeking contributions of French and French-inspired gift items for our event raffle. To sponsor this event or make a basket donation, please contact Lisa Boatright, Executive Director of Norfolk Sister City Association, staff@norfolksistercities.org, by Fri., August 31st.

Proceeds from this event raise scholarship funds for our youth exchange program between Norfolk, VA and Toulon, France.

*Please note that this event is non-refundable in the event of severe inclement weather. Those who have purchased meals would come to the venue to collect them.

Thank you to our Sponsors: