But not for every element of Harvest Noir. Last year the DJ’s set was hijacked by requests to play more mainstream Top 40 during the dance portion of the evening.
Greg Searle: That’s right. At one point, the stage was stormed by guests requesting music by Shania Twain and Michael Jackson.

Did that affect your vision for Harvest Noir?
SB: For this year’s event, we’ve made plans to accommodate both groups of listeners.

Why the secrecy as an element of Harvest Noir? 
GS: Harvest Noir is similar to a flash mob. It’s meant to create surprise and be culturally disruptive — in a good way. We feel it’s important to create surprise, because as adults, it’s something that we don’t experience as often.

Participants must dress all in black. Are you worried that spectators will confuse the event with a funeral?
GS: I think the top hats, tails, fascinators, and overall extravagance of the clothing differentiate Harvest Noir from other events.

SB: We chose black because it is more accessible, since most people don’t own white suits.

In most European cities where similar types of events have taken place, guests take their own alcohol. Not so in Ottawa. Last year guests had to buy alcohol from the restaurant at the museum, which wasn’t cheap. 
GS: Having alcohol for sale wasn’t our first choice, but it was simply not possible to include it in any other way. Moreover, it was difficult to find a location that would serve alcohol without catering, because most large public venues in Ottawa have exclusive arrangements with caterers. This year we’re setting up our own cash bar service that will sell bottles of fine wine at the picnic at a lower cost to try to meet our guests’ needs. Unfortunately BYOB is not an option again this year.

Why the emphasis on local and seasonal food? 
GS: I think we’ve grown accustomed to eating industrially formed food from faraway places, losing our connection to the hard-working farmers who produce healthy, fresh food on nearby farms. Plus, people now spend less time eating together. The whole tradition of having a picnic, preparing your own food, selecting local and seasonal ingredients has somewhat diminished. I thought this event would be a great way to bring many of these elements together again.

Without giving away any of the surprises, is there anything you can reveal about this year’s event?
GS: Barring inclement weather, we will parade through Ottawa’s streets.

SB: Our goal is to create an even more magical experience.

For more information about this year’s Harvest Noir, visit www.harvestnoir.com.