Nuit Blanche programs feature installations, performances, parties and contemporary art exhibitions that run through the night

Organizers of Ottawa’s first Nuit Blanche in a decade say they’re reviving the overnight event on a modest scale to leave room to grow.

Most Nuit Blanche events elsewhere take over an entire city, explained executive producer Jose Bertrand, but in Ottawa the installations and shows are limited to the downtown area, specifically the ByWard Market and Confederation Park.

“Being the first year, we wanted to make a smaller footprint to have better control of what we’re doing and how we can expand gradually across the years,” Bertrand said in an interview.

“Eventually we’ll grow bigger and get all over the city. But we’re not at the level of a Toronto or Montreal Nuit Blanche. We’re a little sister basically looking up and making sure we evolve in that direction over the next five years.”

However, Ottawa’s Nuit Blanche lands on a busy day. Also happening on Saturday, Sept. 26, is a celebration of Ottawa’s 200th anniversary, plus a Pique party thrown by the folks at Debaser, the finale in the series of SoundScape shows, and a gathering of animators from around the world for the Ottawa International Animation Festival.

In other words, although Nuit Blanche officially runs from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. in the downtown area, combined with everything else going on, it means there are things to do pretty much around the clock. What’s more, most of them are free.

In case you don’t know, Nuit Blanche is translated as “sleepless night.” Popular in Montreal, Toronto and other major cities around the world, Nuit Blanche programs feature installations, performances, parties and contemporary art exhibitions that run through the night.

Here are some highlights of the various events on Saturday:

The sauna-rave culture that’s trending in Nordic countries lands in Ottawa during Pique, thanks in part to the Embassy of Finland. Don’t miss the chance to sit in a sauna, take a cold plunge and let the endorphins carry you onto the dance floor. Spinning the tunes will be DJ Hulluella, a Sámi DJ, artist and producer from Finnish Arctic Circle.

With Daly Avenue closed to vehicles, teknosauna will be set up on the street, and kept hot from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. Bring your own bathing suit, towel and flip flops. While a changing area is available on site, it’s recommended you arrive with your bathing suit under your clothes.

The final show in the inaugural SoundScape series is a free celebration of Ottawa’s 200th anniversary, taking place in the cave-like setting under the Plaza Bridge. Gates open at 6:30 p.m., the music starts at 6:45 p.m. and Indigenous performers strut their stuff at 8 p.m. At the top of the bill is the return of Manotick’s celebrated indie rockers, Hollerado, with an opening set by singalong crowd favourites wherever they go, the Bytown Sea Shanty Collective. Tickets are free, but you’re asked to register in advance at tickettailor.com.

Pierre Brault is the veteran award-winning Ottawa actor-comedian known for his skilful, one-man performances, including an annual production of the Christmas Carol in which he plays every character. Now he’s tackling the legacy of Lt.-Col. John By, the military engineer of the 19th century in charge of the construction of the Rideau Canal. Brault’s new, immersive theatrical production reimagines a day in the life of Col By. Showtimes are 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. at the Bytown Museum, 1 Canal Lane. Admission is free for the day.

The folks at Ottawa’s Music.Art.Ppl collective throw fantastic parties, but it’s not often they can go all night. On Saturday, however, they take over 27 Club from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m., with a plan to make the entire York Street bar into an immersive experience. Party into the wee hours with a mix of electronic music, visual art, projections, lasers and live painting by Kina Ink. DJs include Ala, Enko, Dasa and Nikoli.

Mobile Homme, the pop-up aerial show presented last fall as a teaser for Nuit Blanche, was so popular organizers knew they wanted to mount another overhead production as part of the main event. They discovered Italy’s eVenti Verticali and were entranced by the company’s CUBO performance, which features a large cube suspended from a crane in the air. Inside the cube, lights, sounds and projections swirl as aerialists demonstrate their skills. On Saturday, CUBO will launch near the Ottawa sign on York Street, close to Sussex Drive. Showtimes are 7:20 p.m., 9:20 p.m. and 11:20 p.m. It’s the Italian company’s first show in Ottawa.

From Australia comes projection artist Craig Walsh and a made-for-Ottawa version of his Monuments installation. Designed specifically for Confederation Park, it consists of digital images of three influential figures from Ottawa’s history cast onto the park’s leafy trees. The trio of historic influencers are: Jenny Russell Simpson, an artist, public servant and curator of the Bytown Museum from 1923-32; Warren Young Soper, an entrepreneur who, with business partner Thomas Franklin Ahearn, brought Ottawa into the 20th century with electricity and the telephone; and Sir Wilfrid Laurier, the seventh prime minister, a nation builder whose career in federal politics lasted a remarkable 45 years.

Check out some of the most talented musicians of the region at the birthday party being thrown on Marion Dewar Plaza at Ottawa City Hall. After the 10 a.m. opening ceremonies, there’s a strong lineup throughout the day, starting with songbird Izzy Rose at noon. The Blind and Beautiful duo of singer-songwriter-guitarist Lucas Haneman and powerhouse vocalist Megan Laurence play at 1 p.m., followed by the bilingual pop fare of Jessy Lindsay at 2:30 p.m. and Gatineau’s charismatic livewire, Mehdi Cayenne, at 3:30 p.m. Festivities continue until 10 p.m.

Lynn Saxberg is the arts reporter at the Ottawa Citizen. For years she has been covering music festivals like Bluesfest, performances at the National Arts Centre and Canadian Tire Centre, as well as art exhibitions, comedy shows, the club scene and more. Sign up to receive weekly updates from Lynn Saxberg.