We took in some of the sights (sites?) at Nuit Blanche last night in the city. What a great feeling to be outside with so many people, just to see art! You really experience the city as a community. Yes, there were too many people, especially as the evening went on, but it was in incredible experience just the same. Below are my tips for having a great Nuit Blanche.

This van has hundreds, or thousands, of holes drilled in it in flowing geometric patterns and was lit from the inside. The van was on a rotating platform, casting subtle pattern of lights on the surrounding buildings.

Six Nuit Blanche Tips

1. There is a lot less crowding for the first three hours.
Nuit Blanche starts at sunset, I believe that was at 6:47 last night. the crowds don’t really pick up until 10:00 pm, which gives you three hours of relative mobility before the whole thing becomes a massive crowd-surfing event. Of course, we didn’t try to last until the wee hours, so it’s possible that there’s a lot more room at, say 4:00 a.m. But who’s going to take their kids out at that time?

2. Start at the centre and work to the outside
The big installations are worth seeing, so I recommend starting with them, before the crowds get too large. The Daniel Lanois installation was still had plenty of room around 9:00 pm. The “outer” areas, like the Distillery (which we did not get to this year) are usually less crowded than, say, Dundas Square. That’s where to head as you get into the later evening.

Giant clown heads suspended between buildings. Vaguely frightening - and fascinating at the same time.

3. Plan the trip beforehand
I know this sounds like a no-brainer, but unless you have endless patience and really plan to spend the whole night out, it’s just too hard to wander around Nuit Blanche without a plan. We were semi-guilty of that this year. Yes, I had done some reading beforehand, but I did not map out a route, as I should have done. Yes, there was some mild grumbling in our party. Duly noted. Next year we’ll do better.

4. Take a Taxi or Public Transit
Unless you have a good place to park on the outskirts of one of the zones, this is no place for a car. Nor a bike, unfortunately. There are MANY taxis cruising the perimeters. Both taxi drivers we had (going there and coming back) told us that this is their biggest night of the year, bigger even than New Years Eve!

5. Dress Warm
Yes, it gets cold. Dress for it, starting with warm socks.

6. Leave Your Expectations at Home
This is art. Some of it is compelling. Some of it less so. But that’s what you get on the bleeding edge. Come with an open mind and you’ll have a wonderful experience.

This installation featured intermittent opera singing in what looked like a renovation project gone wrong.

This is not necessarily for all children, so for some families, it might be best to leave the kids with a sitter, or a grandparent, but it makes for a unique experience and, with a little planning (and some treats along the way), your kids could have a blast. Toronto has the biggest Nuit Blanche on this side of the Atlantic (I think Paris, where it started nine years ago, has the biggest one in the world) If you missed Nuit Blanche this year, start planning for 2011!