Nuit Blanche North returns to Downtown Huntsville this Saturday July 27th!
For one night only, the streets will come alive with an exciting program of free contemporary artistic activities, events and exhibits taking place in unconventional places in and around Huntsville’s downtown core. The fun begins at sunset and continues into the wee hours of the morning. Visitors can wander through the streets of Huntsville to discover surprising works of art in unexpected places. From street theatre, to music, to sculpture, to film and interactive exhibits, there is something for everyone, and many ways to join in the fun. Come explore, discover, debate, create and participate. All you need is a desire to stay up late and play!
This year’s programming features incredible sites and performances inspired by the theme “All Together Now”. Discover unique and engaging installations, interactive art, film, sculpture, street theatre, music, or anything else that explore ideas revolving around the collective, what connects/divides, as well as the opportunities & challenges collectivity provokes.
View the full Nuit Blanche North schedule below!
Nuit Blanche North Zone 1: Town Hall
Silver Elvis Live Mural Team
Main St., In front of the Whimsical Bakery
Join Silver Elvis and his street mural team to create an original large-scale painting fusing collage, street art and black lights, accompanied by the dulcet tones of the bassoon and theremin. Over the past three years, The SilverElvis live collaborative has produced 111 murals across Ontario.
RHYTHMANIA! | Led by Barry “Bazza” Hayward
Main St. Next to the United Church
The spirit and magic of rhythm transcends all ages, gender, religions, races, and cultures. Drum circles have the power to heal and empower, to foster unity and community, and to liberate our primal souls! Come and experience creative expression through drumming and rhythm. Participants will explore a variety of drums, percussion instruments, and incorporate them into an ensemble where together, truly has the power to transport the players to different places. Everyone is welcome!
Hunter’s Bay Music Stage
Algonquin Theatre, Partners Hall
First on the Dial, Hunter’s Bay Radio presents Christina Hutt & James Vanmeer in the Algonquin Theatre’s licensed performance space. Come in, grab a seat and a cold one, as HBR takes you live to air.
Jennifer Hicks
Main St. | In Front of Reflections of Muskoka
Through an interactive process, visitors create a map of downtown together that highlights meaningful moments and memories connected to the spaces around us. The activation aims to move the map beyond its conventional role as a navigational tool into a meaningful tapestry of moments and memories, made by us – the community of Nuit Blanche North 2019. Post event, the map will live online where visitors can revisit the night as well as the stories behind the people who participate in the Nuit Blanche North Map Mural.
Light Painting | By Limelight Muskoka
Main St. | In front of Town Hall
Join Limelight Muskoka in an interactive photography activation. Using a technique of long exposure photography, paint your own portrait using lights and movement to be captured on camera. You can then have the captured moment sent to you digitally to be shared as you wish.
Under the Same Sun | By Elise Muller
Main St. | In front of Trinity United Church
Contribute to a collectively created mural of a sun. In the centre of the sun are the words “All together under the same sun we are one.” Visitors will be encouraged to think of an intention and then paint/colour, collage, or add words/poetry to the rays of the sun to create a collective mural.
Kareen’s Wellie Garden | By Catherine Cole, Sherry Peddie, Hunters Ba & Kirsty Williamson
Main St. | Tom Thomson Statue
In 2017, Huntsville lost one of its most creative souls: Kareen Burns. In honor of her impact, and the impact of so many other creative individuals in our community, a Wellie Gardent was created. Flowers are planted inside boots, and will be placed amongst garden surrounding the statue of Tom Thomson (created by another creative soul Brenda Waiman-Goulet). Bring your own boots & flowers and add to the garden in honor of a creative soul in your life.
And be sure to check out “People, Places & Lights” by Artist Gordon Duncan happening in Partner’s Hall. Part of the Huntsville Art Society, as well as Make Up station by Smash Box Creations.
Nuit Blanche North Zone 2: Main Street
Busker Pitch
Intersection of Main St. and King St.
World class buskers will dazzle you with acrobatics, juggling, stilt walking, magic and fire play. Featured performers include Isabella Hoops, Ringmaster K & The Fire Guy And keep an eye out for some incredible walkabout performers including Cherry Darling, Silver Elvis and more, and an interactive Hoop Zone.
- Ringmaster K | 8pm
A high-energy demonstration showcasing a wealth of talent and hilarity. A master of death defying circus stunts and a truly charismatic character, audiences of all ages will fall in love with PyRomeo! - Isabella Hoops | 9pm
A circus performer based out of Toronto, Ontario Canada who has always possessed a passion for entertaining people. Her charm, flirtatious energy and her quirky humour is unforgettable. Bella doesn’t just hula-hoop; she brings her own style of dance and rhythm to the hoop to create an extraordinary and memorable show. Bella Hoops has a wide variety of performing experience: from cabarets, to festivals, on the street, in schools and kids birthday parties. - The Fire Guy | 10pm
For over 15 years Fireguy has had a burning desire to entertain the world with its most fascinating element. Brant Matthews aka Fireguy is based in Toronto Canada and has performed in countries all over the world. Fireguy is an expert in fire eating, juggling and breathing and enlightens his audiences with energetic expertise.
Good Enough Live Karaoke
Intersection of Main St. and Brunel Rd.
We play, YOU sing! If you’ve ever had a secret desire to sing onstage with a band, Good Enough Live Karaoke will unleash your inner rockstar and make it happen. A five-piece band featuring guitar, bass, keyboards and drums, Good Enough’s repertoire of over 300 songs spans genres and eras. From Aerosmith and Nirvana to Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, the Tragically Hip, White Stripes and everything in between. It’s as easy as scanning the song list, picking a song you love and daring to get on stage with us. Lyrics are provided on an iPad on a music stand. And we will cue you in and sing back up when necessary.
This Is ME! | Community Living Huntsville
Main St. (Corner of Brunel and Main)
Community Living Huntsville brings a series of celebratory performances and hands on arts activities aimed at spreading awareness about perceptions and language associated with disabilities. Enjoy a high energy performance by an integrated dance squad made of local community members with mixed abilities, and an evolving yarn bomb installation.
GROW! | Brought to you By Science North’s Science En Route
Main St., Next to Soapstones
An interactive exhibit exploring agriculture and everything that grows.
Conversation | Concept and Creation by Rob Gill
Kent Park (at the corner of Main St. and Brunel Rd.)
An interactive sound installation that invites you to add your voice to the conversation. Using multiple recording devices, and audio looping technology, voices of visitors are recorded to create a collage of sounds, words and music that collectively captures the experience of Nuit Blanche North 2019.
Stepping on the Cracks | Sonny Allinson, Hailey Scott & Mimes on Main
Main St.
Mimes on Main invite you to step on the emotional cracks within society that engender the feeling of being “all together now”. The premise was sparked by the March 2019 shooting in New Zealand where within 6 days of a brutal attack upon people in a mosque (who were all together) the government (who were all together) put a ban on assault rifles. Within hours 40,000 supporters were gathered…and they are without question “all together now’. Mimes on Main will explore the ideas that force emotional connectivity and therefore also create contrast and conflict as well as happiness, kindness and concern.
Untitled | By Huntsville Theatre Company
Main St. | In Front of Plum Loco
Bite sized monologues & songs stitch together a woman’s journey from childhood to death and everything in between. Visitors can only watch one small segment at a time, but are encouraged to return to witness the entire journey.
Nuit Blanche North Zone 3: River Mill Park
NbN Music Stage
River Mill Park Stage
- Turbo Street Funk | 8:30pm
With over 200 performances across Ontario, Quebec, the East Coast, New England and New York, Turbo Street Funk has gained a reputation for explosive live shows, opening for artists such as The Lost Fingers, Five Alarm Funk, Terra Lightfoot, Rita Chiarelli, The Soul Motivators and Emmanuel Jal.
- After Funk | 10pm
After Funk is a fun filled, soul driven, funk-rock explosion. Hailed as “The grooviest band north of the border” (Live for Live Music), the Toronto based funk family have been blazing a trail through the North American music scene leaving only happy hearts and dancing feet in their wake. The combination of Yanick Allwood (keyboards & vocals), Jaime Rosenberg (drums), Justin Bontje (bass) and Phil Tessis (guitar) results in an infectiously fun show, as well as virtuosity and beauty that will challenge your musical mind. After Funk’s sound and hard work has not gone unnoticed; being selected as the Electric Forest’s Instrumental Forester in 2014 earned them two sets at the festival and they have served as support for Walk Off The Earth, Lettuce, Snarky Puppy, Dumpstaphunk, TAUK and more.
I Fear | 8:30pm & 10pm
Hercinia Arts Collective
An improvised performance on aerial silks and cello based on audience suggestions. Throughout the evening, visitors are invited to write down something that “I fear” about the present or future and to place it on a hanging line surrounding the aerial rig. Aerial performers will take turns selecting fears from the line, reading them aloud and performing an improvised act based on the fear read with the accompaniment of a live cellist. At the end of the evening audiences will be invited to participate in a ceremony to acknowledge the remaining fears and to destroy or carry them as they see fit.
The World’s Largest Pollinator Hotel | By Earl Dobec
Join in on the construction of a large scale Pollinator Hotel. To support biodiversity. At any given time, your garden might contain over 2,000 species of insects. Some of these are pests, the kind you don’t want in your garden because they destroy your flowers and vegetables. But many others are beneficial insects, the kind you want to attract because they work with you to control pests and pollinate flowers.
The Galactic Garden | Adrienne Starr
A Galactic Garden of hanging crop circles illuminated by black light. No matter who we are or where we are from, when we see the intricate and encoded crop circle images, we are immediately face to face with the mystery that makes up the fabric of our world, and together we wonder…’are there other beings in this galaxy?’.
Green Anarchy in Borneo | David Breckenridge
An installation using video and Augmented Reality technology to bring awareness to the mass extinction of animals. For the past two years, David has been teaching English in rural Indonesia (Borneo), where his hobby was to purchase animals from the black market and take video of them going back into the wild (‘rewilding’). This included the longest snakes in the world, 5-meter long Bornean reticulated pythons. This installation shares video and images of his activities, and asks visitors to consider how their decisions can have huge ramifications on the natural world around us.
The Message of the Blue Heron | Suzanne Riverin & Lisa Riverin-Thomas
Using pages of old books, and origami techniques, artists Suzanne Riverin & Lisa Riverin-Thomas create a flock of magical Blue Herons that will be installed as a floating installation in River Mill Park. Drop by and make your very own Blue Heron too.
On Site Cinema | By Sandy Mclennan
A looping screening of 8mm footage taken at Nuit Blanche North 2018. In 2018, Sandy McClennan had the ambitious goal of shooting, editing and screening a film made with 8mm film on the night of Nuit Blanche North. The results are from On Site Cinema.
Nuit Blanche North Zone 4: Town Docks
Junkyard Symphony | 8pm & 10pm
A rhythmic and percussive symphony using recycled objects and ingenuity. Junkyard Symphony is great for all ages and involves plenty of audience participation.
Alpha Rhythm Roots | 9pm
An interactive performance featuring West Guinean Style drumming and song. Alpha Rhythm Roots is committed to bringing the music, dance, traditions, and culture of Guinea, to Canada and the world.
House of Commons- We Belong | By Marc Walter
A large scale sculpture made of woven branches celebrating Canadian citizenship and our collective role to play in political activity. A structure constructed of locally source branches will be created, with silhouette door openings to allow visitors to “penetrate the walls of the commons”. Visitors will be encouraged to leave their own mark on the commons using small wooden circles decorated with images and words.
All Together Magic | By Carol Ferris
Throughout downtown Huntsville will be a number of Magic Wands. Your mission is to find all. Once you do, return to the artist to learn a magic spell to cast.
Come Together | By Nancy Hunter
A fun and easy activity for all ages that only takes about 15 or 20 minutes to complete your own masterpiece inspired by group activities.
Exploring Puppetry Together | Town Docks | By Quartetto Marionetto and Friends
Join in and learn different facets of puppetry. You’ll have the chance to build your own puppet, and help perform a show live.
Strings, Brushes & Words | Town Docks | By Sue Allen & Helena Renwick
An exploration of three elements: Earth, Fire & Air through live painting accompanied by improvised music. Join in by adding your words to create a collectively created poem.
Nuit Blanche North Special Events
NorthFIRE
Town Docks | 11pm
For one hour the night sky s lit up with fire! This high energy fire show melds elegant choreography with extreme fire power. An explosive pyro show featuring Isabella Hoops, Ringmaster K, & Fire Guy employing fire hoops, poi, staff, acrobatics, fire breathing and some exceptional pyro techniques. This all ages event has become a popular tradition at Nuit Blanche North, and this year’s show promises to be the most illuminating yet!
Bon Nuit: A Midnight Burlesque Show
Club55 | Midnight
Not ready to go home yet? After the kids have gone home to bed, join us in our licensed cabaret space for delightfully risque performance by incredible burlesque performers including Brad Puddin’, Black Swan, Dolly Monroe, Bianca Boom Boom, Flarington King & BonBon Bombay
Extra Activities
There’s face painting on Main St., Henna in River Mill Park and different demonstrations from local artists and vendors.
Food and Drink
Be sure to drop by the Nutty Chocolatier’s Nuit Blanche North Outdoor Café for fresh lemonade and sweets, as well as vendors in River Mill Park including Frenchie’s Crepes Café, Belly Ice Cream & Kane’s Kids Lemonade. For adults, or check out our licensed cabaret inside Club 55 at the Algonquin Theatre.
Buskers and Walkabouts
Look out for walkabout music and circus performances throughout the night.
For more information on Nuit Blanche North please visit: https://nuitblanchenorthhuntsville.wordpress.com/