A truly unique cultural event, Nuit Blanche is Toronto’s premier public art exhibition. Name-sponsored by major funder Scotiabank, Nuit Blanche (French for “White Night”, based as it is on a similar annual nocturnal event in Paris) takes place this year during the night of Saturday, October 4th into the early morning hours of Sunday, October 5th at various locations in Toronto.
Public art installations by local and international artists are spread across the city during the nighttime hours. There are over 80 independent projects being staged by local artists as well as four curated projects featuring 48 projects produced by the City of Toronto. This is art not merely to be seen but to be heard, touched, felt, and experienced. And the best part of the event is that all of it is free.
The highest concentration of Nuit Blanche installations can be found downtown among the office towers of the Financial District. Queen Street West in downtown and the area around Historic Fort York are among the locations where food trucks and snack stands will be set up for sustenance on the go. Washroom and information facilities can also be found at these locations.
Installations and projects are hardly limited to the skyscrapers downtown, however. There will be art to be experienced across the central core area of the city, from the Lakefront to St. Clair Avenue and from the Don Valley to Roncesvalles. There will also be resulting road closures across the city on the night of October 4th, please see Nuit Blanche’s listing of closure and lane reductions for more information. The Toronto Transit Commission will be extending the operating hours of Line 1 and Line 2 of its subway system for Nuit Blanche. Both lines will be open until about 7 am on Sunday, October 4th to accommodate late-night attendees. The TTC also offers Special Event Day Passes for Nuit Blanche, and GO Transit is operating extra train service through Union Station on this special night as well.
Nuit Blanche is one of the most fascinating and surprising entries in on Toronto’s annual events calendar. It is not to be missed for art and culture lovers, curious and adventurous members of the community, and night owls. For more information, including listings of the various installations and an event map, check out the Scotiabank Nuit Blanche website.