And now for the program details
Five sites are home to Cabbagetown Nuit Blanche experiences: Parliament Street (from Carlton to Winchester), Rose Avenue near Wellesley, 80 Winchester St (at Metcalfe), Wellesley Park (at the east end of Wellesley St) and Riverdale Park (at the east end of Carlton St).
Parliament Street events
Project Beacon by William Hudson (at Winchester). A rustic gathering point in the middle of the asphalt tributaries that have replaced the Don River wetlands.
A Return to Hugh Garner’s Cabbagetown with Michael Ondaatje and friends (508 Parliament) A dusk to dawn reading of Hugh Garner’s classic novel.
Art Heart Exhibition by the children and youth of Regent Park (514 Parliament)
Carousel at 509 Dance by Andrea Nann, Dreamwalker Dance Company and 509 Dance (509 Parliament). A communal interactive kaleidescope of music and movement.
Justin Dart’s Outside Drawings (Parliament Street and more). A continuous chalk drawing winding through neighbourhood streets.
No One Sleeps from Francois Aubrey and Jenn Kalinowski (Carlton and Parliament) An avant garde outdoor film exhibition.
Red Door by Ryan Dineen and Misha Hunter (Carlton and Parliament) An all-night mural painting project on the wall of one of Cabbagetown’s favourite buildings.
The Ghost of Shakespeare by Christopher Roberts (various locations). Spotlight speakers transmit sounds over distance and whisper into someone’s ear in the crowd.
Wellesley Park
Currents by Nina Bunjevac, Andy Townsend, Perry White and Michael White. A multi media installation with visual and sound components.
Winchester Dance Theatre
Crank the Winch with Ruth Levin and Sarah McQueston (80 Winchester St).
Rose Avenue
Opposites Attract by Deborah Barnett and Aaron Benson (Rose Avenue near Wellesley)
Seven limited edition letterpress broadsides are printed with handset typography and new works by Toronto illustrator Seth Scriver
Riverdale Park West
Light House by Brian Moore (at the east end of Carlton St). Beacons of light shimmer and dance with images of the community.
Kelly Roger’s The Poet Tree. Nature physically deconstructs a well known verse when the words blow in the breeze and the audience reconstructs it as they wish.
More Nuit Blanche events being planned
The Union Yoga Centre (242 Carlton) has become a workshop for the Cabbagetown Nuit Blanche team. Cabbage lanterns are being assembled there on Friday night for delivery to homes through the neighbourhood. Overnight during Nuit Blanche, there’ll be art from their successful Bless The Feminine show and special yoga experiences and small classes.
Canadian Children’s Dance Theatre (509 Parliament) is holding an interactive and improvisational musical movement experience where visitors can join CCDT dancers and musicians.
Don’t forget that 2-4-1 Video (455 Parliament) is holding all-night screenings for short films and videos. If you have a video to screen, bring it along. Reflections (453 Parliament) reports that their Halloween costume event is going smoothly and they’ll be encouraging everyone to wear their new stuff on the street during Nuit Blanche.Food, of course, is really important during an all-night event
At Piccolo (226 Carlton), Robert Houle’s recent small ledger paintings will be on display in the Annabella jazz bar. Piccolo have very generously contributed two gift certificates that the Nuit Blanche committee is using for its fundraising drive.
Down the street at JamCafe (195 Carlton), Av and Joe Atikian are presenting three artists: Christian McLeod (http://www.christianmcleod.com/), Tristan Teng (http://www.t3gallery.ca/) and Andrea Raymond (www.andrea-raymond.com/home.html) Av will also be performing on guitar and Joe on drums. If you’re hungry and thirsty, they’re offering two lovely wines with complimentary hors d’oeuvres in a special celebratory tasting. 
Over on Parliament, St Jamestown Deli (516 Parliament) is holding another wonderful bbq for the starving hordes – steak and chicken sandwiches will give everyone the strength to continue onward to Jet Fuel for a top-up. Snooky Tynes is playing outdoors next to St Jamestown. 
Cabbagetown Organics (499 Parliament) will have more snacks and drinks to keep everyone alert. 
Epicure Shop has coffee and cookies, homemade pizza slices and wraps ready to devour at their outdoor table. Inside, they’ll have more sandwich deals, breakfast bagels and samples of artisan cheeses.
Green’s Antiques (529 Parliament) are setting up an art display in front of their store. And candy floss will be available.
While all of this is happening, popular regular eateries like the Ben Wicks, the House on Parliament, Peartree, Margarita’s, Brass Taps, Stonegrill, Cranberries and Big Mamma’s Boy will be open and welcoming. For specialty meals and snacks, try Timothy's Tikka House, Tea Pot Chatt, China Gourmet, Ginger and Asahi. For breakfast and quick meals, there's Johnny G's, Chew Chew, M2M and Best Breakfast.Gamblers welcome…
The Epicure Shop is again offering its free coffee contest and it’s starting during Nuit Blanche. If your package of coffee beans weighs exactly 454 grams, then you’ll get a second bag free. It’s an addictive experience. Patty Junior won’t admit it but this thing has grown out of hand – busloads of people en route to Casino Rama are now stopping there for a chance at a freebie.
In the meantime, punters are also laying down bets on Jet Fuel's hours during Nuit Blanche. Will he or won’t he? Johnny Jet Fuel has kept a breathless audience waiting for his final decision. He's got art hanging on the walls and he's got the right ambiance but he isn't committing himself. Because he’s right in the middle of the block and because both his café and his coffee enjoy a well-earned city-wide reputation, the smart money is saying that he’ll stay open for the festivities. But he keeps saying “Nuit what?” “Nuit when?” (519 Parliament) 
Who knew coffee could be so complicated?
