Blackout Anniversary 2009

Last night was the sixth annual Blackout Anniversary, a tribute to the Northeast Blackout of 2003, which Streets Are For People described thusly:

Party the 1st : Blackout on Ossington Avenue, Dundas to Queen, 8 pm to close – 28 venues, buskers, live acoustic music, parking meter parties, candlelight

Party the 2nd: Group bike ride – bring your lights, meet Bloor and Spadina at 8:45 – at 9:15 let’s ride!

Party the 3rd: Circus geeks and dance freaks, meet NW corner of Trinity Belwoods near Simon de Bolivar bust at 9 ish, bring glowsticks and dancing shoes

…don’t miss the big surprise at 10pm when three parties become one…

Coming down Ossington from Dundas, the first parking meter party you may have seen was an accordion-led game of musical chairs.

Further down, a parking space hosted the communal jitz.

Shortly after 10pm, the pedestrian parade moved up Ossington, marshaled by a fire juggler.

Not realizing it at the time, I caught Brian Sharwood of Homestars.net taking pictures.

You might notice the crowd seems preoccupied with something directly over my head. That something was a buildering busker (a builderer?)

There were also plenty of great signs encouraging everyone to GTFO.

Once the street was completely occupied, the “surprise” was revealed. As everyone chanted “black-out”, the streetlights magically responded, shutting off one by one. Spooky.

While the lights were out, sparklers started materializing.

Of course, the party wouldn’t be complete without what Milton Bradley’s competitor’s called “sex in a box”.

Video has surfaced from Urban Repair Squad and atochillin.

P.S. Post style shamefully appropriated from hyfen.