Art party: Thousands descend on downtown for Nuit Blanche

An estimated 30,000 partygoers descended on Winnipeg’s core neighbourhoods Saturday night for the city’s 14th annual Nuit Blanche celebrations. The late-night arts and culture party featured more than 80 free events and installations peppered throughout downtown, the Exchange District, The Forks and St. Boniface.

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This article was published 29/09/2024 (722 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

An estimated 30,000 partygoers descended on Winnipeg’s core neighbourhoods Saturday night for the city’s 14th annual Nuit Blanche celebrations. The late-night arts and culture party featured more than 80 free events and installations peppered throughout downtown, the Exchange District, The Forks and St. Boniface.

MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS
                                Nuit Blanche festivalgoers experience the Odori exhibit, which included a spinning table under bright lights. The public art sculpture was co-created by Takashi Iwasaki and Joe Kalturnyk.

MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS

Nuit Blanche festivalgoers experience the Odori exhibit, which included a spinning table under bright lights. The public art sculpture was co-created by Takashi Iwasaki and Joe Kalturnyk.

MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS
                                Drag performer Ruby Chopstix performs during Nuit Blanche in the Exchange District Saturday.

MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS

Drag performer Ruby Chopstix performs during Nuit Blanche in the Exchange District Saturday.

MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS
                                Drag performer Ruby Chopstix performs to a sizeable crowd in front of Darling Bar for Nuit Blanche.

MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS

Drag performer Ruby Chopstix performs to a sizeable crowd in front of Darling Bar for Nuit Blanche.

MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS
                                The Light Within display at 66 Arthur St. was one of dozens of art installations set up for Nuit Blanche Saturday night.

MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS

The Light Within display at 66 Arthur St. was one of dozens of art installations set up for Nuit Blanche Saturday night.

MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS
                                Drag performer Ruby Chopstix captivates the crowd.

MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS

Drag performer Ruby Chopstix captivates the crowd.

MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS
                                Dave Sampson dances through the Marchante exhibit that took place in one of the tunnels that connects King Street and Arthur Street.

MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS

Dave Sampson dances through the Marchante exhibit that took place in one of the tunnels that connects King Street and Arthur Street.

MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS
                                Crowds take in The Light Within display at 66 Arthur St.

MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS

Crowds take in The Light Within display at 66 Arthur St.

MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS
                                Ludochroma II is a returning exhibit which mixes lights, music and interpretive dance.

MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS

Ludochroma II is a returning exhibit which mixes lights, music and interpretive dance.

MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS
                                Festivalgoers watch as musicians and dancers perform behind translucent white sheets, resulting in music and colour shining through to Albert Street in Winnipeg’s Exchange District.

MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS

Festivalgoers watch as musicians and dancers perform behind translucent white sheets, resulting in music and colour shining through to Albert Street in Winnipeg’s Exchange District.

MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS
                                moonGARDEN by artist Anna Pinto Diallo takes over the Cube in the Exchange District with its giant coloured balls and soundscapes.

MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS

moonGARDEN by artist Anna Pinto Diallo takes over the Cube in the Exchange District with its giant coloured balls and soundscapes.

MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS
                                moonGARDEN by artist Anna Pinto Diallo takes over the Cube in the Exchange District with its giant coloured balls and soundscapes.

MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS

moonGARDEN by artist Anna Pinto Diallo takes over the Cube in the Exchange District with its giant coloured balls and soundscapes.

MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS
                                moonGARDEN by artist Anna Pinto Diallo takes over the Cube in the Exchange District with its giant coloured balls and soundscapes.

MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS

moonGARDEN by artist Anna Pinto Diallo takes over the Cube in the Exchange District with its giant coloured balls and soundscapes.

MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS
                                moonGARDEN by artist Anna Pinto Diallo takes over the Cube in the Exchange District with its giant coloured balls and soundscapes.

MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS

moonGARDEN by artist Anna Pinto Diallo takes over the Cube in the Exchange District with its giant coloured balls and soundscapes.

MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS
                                Hundreds of Nuit Blanche attendees take in the Light it Up Freestyle Dance Battle on top of The Forks parkade Saturday night.

MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS

Hundreds of Nuit Blanche attendees take in the Light it Up Freestyle Dance Battle on top of The Forks parkade Saturday night.

MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS
                                Nuit Blanche attendees walk through the lit-up streamers outside of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights Saturday night as part of Jaimie Issac’s exhibit “Nibi.”

MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS

Nuit Blanche attendees walk through the lit-up streamers outside of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights Saturday night as part of Jaimie Issac’s exhibit “Nibi.”

MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS
                                Nuit Blanche attendees walk through the lit-up streamers outside of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights Saturday night as part of Jaimie Issac’s exhibit “Nibi.”

MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS

Nuit Blanche attendees walk through the lit-up streamers outside of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights Saturday night as part of Jaimie Issac’s exhibit “Nibi.”

MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS
                                Festivalgoers Gino (left) and Rina (right) go through the lit-up streamers outside of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights Saturday night as part of Jaimie Issac’s exhibit “Nibi.”

MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS

Festivalgoers Gino (left) and Rina (right) go through the lit-up streamers outside of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights Saturday night as part of Jaimie Issac’s exhibit “Nibi.”

MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS
                                Festivalgoers take in the visuals and sounds of Jaimie Issac’s exhibit “Nibi.”

MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS

Festivalgoers take in the visuals and sounds of Jaimie Issac’s exhibit “Nibi.”

MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS
                                Festivalgoers take in the visuals and sounds of Jaimie Issac’s exhibit “Nibi.”

MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS

Festivalgoers take in the visuals and sounds of Jaimie Issac’s exhibit “Nibi.”

MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS
                                Nuit Blanche attendees view the Hyperbolic Cellulose display by the University of Manitoba’s BIOM_lab. The lab will continue studying the display further at a new site now that the festival is over.

MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS

Nuit Blanche attendees view the Hyperbolic Cellulose display by the University of Manitoba’s BIOM_lab. The lab will continue studying the display further at a new site now that the festival is over.

MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS
                                First-time Nuit Blanche Festival attendee Ella Lacanlale laughs as she handles the bacterial cellulose material used to construct BIOM_Labs Hyperbolic Cellulose display. The display was constructed to demonstrate the application of bio-based material.

MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS

First-time Nuit Blanche Festival attendee Ella Lacanlale laughs as she handles the bacterial cellulose material used to construct BIOM_Labs Hyperbolic Cellulose display. The display was constructed to demonstrate the application of bio-based material.

MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS
                                A full water taxi heads west down the Assiniboine River.

MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS

A full water taxi heads west down the Assiniboine River.

MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS
                                The water taxis were in high demand Saturday night as Nuit Blanche festivalgoers enjoyed free rides to multiple locations from downtown to The Forks.

MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS

The water taxis were in high demand Saturday night as Nuit Blanche festivalgoers enjoyed free rides to multiple locations from downtown to The Forks.

MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS
                                The water taxis were in high demand Saturday night as Nuit Blanche festivalgoers enjoyed free rides to multiple locations from downtown to The Forks.

MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS

The water taxis were in high demand Saturday night as Nuit Blanche festivalgoers enjoyed free rides to multiple locations from downtown to The Forks.

MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS
                                The water taxis were in high demand Saturday night as Nuit Blanche festivalgoers enjoyed free rides to multiple locations from downtown to The Forks.

MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS

The water taxis were in high demand Saturday night as Nuit Blanche festivalgoers enjoyed free rides to multiple locations from downtown to The Forks.

MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS
                                Jared Arnason boardslides an obstacle during Sk8 Skates Cube Bash event. It was one of the first events to kick off Winnipeg’s Nuit Blanche Saturday.

MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS

Jared Arnason boardslides an obstacle during Sk8 Skates Cube Bash event. It was one of the first events to kick off Winnipeg’s Nuit Blanche Saturday.

MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS
                                Malcolm Moffat grinds an obstacle during Sk8 Skates Cube Bash event at Nuit Blanche Saturday.

MIKE SUDOMA / FREE PRESS

Malcolm Moffat grinds an obstacle during Sk8 Skates Cube Bash event at Nuit Blanche Saturday.

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