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Nuit Blanche North: where you can see Broadway, Elvis, acrobats and art, all in one night

Huntsville’s uber-popular after-dark street festival, Nuit Blanche North, is back for its seventh edition on Saturday, July 28.

As in past years, the fun gets underway at 8 p.m. and the evening will run to early Sunday morning. Whether you come and experience the whole event or just drop in and enjoy a few aspects of it, you can be sure that it will be the most interesting night of the summer. Huntsville Festival of the Arts is once again partnering with Edge of the Woods Theatre, led by Dan Watson, who has put together another great program for the event this year.

The theme this year is ‘So What Now’. “It’s exploring ideas of the future, of where our past is leading us,” says Dan Watson of Edge of the Woods Theatre, who will take on the role of Huntsville Festival of the Arts Executive Director this fall. “We intentionally leave it fairly wide open so that artists can respond in the ways that fit their interests. It could range from environmental, to social movements like where do we go with #metoo, or it could just even be about where we thought we’d be, where we are now, and where we are going. There are lots of projects that are engaging with those ideas in lots of different ways and in different mediums… It’s really exciting.”

Watson encourages the community to come out and enjoy the event for several reasons. First, it’s free thanks to the support of several provincial grants. It’s also a one-night-only opportunity to see the works of local artists that might not appear any where else. “It’s so fun to be out in your town, meeting people, and expressing and discovering your own creativity,” he says. “It’s a chance for the town to celebrate in a different way.”

The event is still looking for a few volunteers to help out at the information booth and as survey takers. If you want to get involved, email [email protected] or call 705-571-4334.

Some of the many highlights of this year’s event include a performance of projection and electronic music by artists Melissa Joakim and Lorenz Peter enveloping town hall; event favorite Marc Walter will create three epic spinning lanterns that will light up the water off the town docks; and special Hydro Flight Spectacles featuring flyboards and jet bikes on the river at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. There will also be plenty of local representation with over 60 artists and community members creating original works, says Watson.

Music will be prominently featured with Toronto’s renowned Lemon Bucket Orkestra headlining, along with Newfoundland’s Ouroboros. Beatboxer Scott Jackson will return to Huntsville along with Dr. Draw and you won’t want to miss Good Enough Live Karaoke throughout the evening.

Buskers will be in abundance with Silver Elvis bringing his live mural team, aerial acrobatics, juggling, hoops, and walkabout artists sprinkled about the River Mill Park and Main Street areas. Main Street will be closed and packed with interactive installations for visitors to get engaged with or simply observe.

At 11 p.m. the Town Docks will host the annual fire show (tempered with LED lights if the fire ban is still in place) and at midnight the Huntsville Theatre Company will be presenting ‘Broadway After Dark’ in Club 55 at the Algonquin Theatre.

There is a surprise around every corner and a lot of fun for all ages. Best of all, the event is free, partially through the support of the Ministry of Tourism through their Celebrate Ontario program and the Ontario Arts Council.

Nuit Blanche North is part of the HFA’s summer season of great performances. Check out the entire lineup at www.huntsvillefestival.ca or at the links below:

Full program brochure
Special Events
Zone #1: Town Hall
Zone #2: Main St.
Zone #3: River Mill Park
Zone #4: Town Docks

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