Oprah opens yard, not home, to Obama event

SANTA BARBARA, Calif., Aug. 23 (UPI) -- Guests at an event for Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama at Oprah Winfrey's California estate can't go into the house and will dine picnic style.

The recommended dress for the Sept. 8 fundraiser at Winfrey's Santa Barbara home is "garden party attire," and guests were informed they'd be dining on blankets under tents, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Thursday.

Attendees also received an e-mail outlining rules for the event for the Illinois senator, including a ban on cameras, instructions about off-site parking and indications that Winfrey's house would be off limits, the newspaper reported.