Nuit Blanche, an international festival celebrating the arts, took over the town for about 12 hours Saturday night and early Sunday morning.
A Pre-Nuit festival for children took place Saturday afternoon at Howard Park. The children made globally-themed crafts while listening to music by Motown Steel Band and chowing down GoodFella’s Pizza. The crafts included instruments made out of recyclable materials and flowers made of tissue paper and coffee filters.
“I wish we could stay up all night for it,” said Nicole Reynolds, Athens resident, who was at Pre-Nuit with her 3-year-old son, Guy. “It’s a nice gesture to do for the kids and the community.”
After Pre-Nuit, Nuit Blanche kicked off at 5:03 p.m. with a parade down Court Street. Volunteers, Athens residents and university students chanted “Ohio” while pounding on drums and tambourines.
From free classes at Inhale Yoga Studio to a performance in the Glidden Recital Hall featuring a kora — a 21-string harp used mostly in West Africa — to theater pieces at Union Arts, the festival covered many different types of art.
“I loved it; I wish I had gone to more events,” said Tshepi Mogwera, a junior studying economics and global studies. “It celebrates every type of art and art from many cultures. It’s cool that it’s not an Athens-only festival. It brings global cultures to the small town of Athens.”
Desjavae Conway, a communications coordinator for the festival and Ohio University student, said she enjoyed the festival because it gave her and her mother something different to do on Moms Weekend.
The festival’s grand finale occurred at the Central Venue from 1 to 3 a.m. Despite the late time, many were still out waving glow sticks, throwing balloons and dancing to the Motown Steel Band — even asking for an encore, which they received.
Zelma Badu-Younge, festival co-director and associate professor of dance, said she was happy with the festival’s success.
“We had about 5,000 programs, and they all ended up gone,” she said. “I feel so good that people could come together to value the arts.”
mg986611@ohiou.edu
