Night of Dread Parade

October 28, 2023

October 28, 2023

Donations appreciated

Christie Pits Park, Toronto

416.708.3332

Website

Events Description

 
Clay & Paper Theatre presents the annual NIGHT OF DREAD, an evening of fearful pageantry, revels and mockery. At this much loved, family-friendly, community event, Torontonians are invited to call on, mock and banish their private and collective fears through parade and pageantry, music and masquerade, dance and a devilishly good party.

2023

At this much loved, family-friendly, community event, we invite Torontonians to call on, mock and banish their private and collective fears through parade and pageantry, music and ritual. This year, you will again be able to enjoy this procession from the comfort of your front lawns, porches and sidewalks in this parade-in-place, performer-only event.

Join us for our last evening of revels at the Night of Dread Festival Pageant on Saturday, October 28th, starting at 6pm in Christie Pits Park. Audience members sign-out and carry Clay and Paper Theatre puppets for a neighbourhood procession of our fears. We then return to the park for a community theatrical spectacle in which the Fear of the Year for 2023 is announced and confronted. The spectacle is followed by a concert in the Valley of Remembrance, a haunting shadow show, and finally a bonfire where the Night of Dread Fear Master names our fears and burns them for us.

Fire spinners and circus artists, New World Circus Army, will light up the night, accompanied by electrifying musical performances from Juno award winning jazz saxophonist, Richard Underhill and the Kensington Horns, along with powerhouse Afro-Brazilian percussionists, Maracatu Mar Aberto. Singers Ori Shalva and artist Michelangelo Iaffaldano share stories through song and images, while Clay and Paper Theatre puppeteers animate and dance giant puppets for our dreadful celebration.

Due to ongoing renovations, the Dufferin Grove Park Rink House is still unavailable to us this year as a staging ground for the final Night of Dread evening. For this reason the Saturday, October 28th procession, pageant, concert and other celebrations will take place at Christie Pits Park.

Who is it for?

All ages

HOW MUCH

Tickets :

Pay-What-You-Can: Suggested $10 / $15 / $25
How to get tickets?

Donate Online

WHEN & WHERE

Date & Time:

Saturday, October 28, 2023

  • 3:30 to 5:30pm
    Community volunteers/participants will be able to pick up their puppet or character performer costume at Christie Pits between 3:30 and 5:30 PM, where a C&P Puppet Master will help you get into your puppet and answer any of your last minute questions, before we begin our dreadful proceedings for the night!
  • 4:30pm to 5:30pm
    Visit the Cemetery of Our Fears installation and have a waltz with one of our Death Dancers to really get you in the dreadful mood.
  • 5:00pm to 6:00pm
    Participants gather for the parade along the road running through Christie Pits Park.
  • 5:45pm to 6pm
    Enjoy the dark magic of our Mischief of Magpies who will offer an opening event incantation. This young group of stilters have been part of our Magpie Club, a program for 12 to 18 year olds made possible with Kiwanis Toronto’s Arts and Culture Grant, providing free workshops in stilting, mask and costume making.
  • 6pm to 6:45pm
    We all parade around the neighborhood with community, puppets, Night of Dread characters and outstanding musical guests, including multi-Juno winner jazz saxophonist Richard Underhill and powerhouse Afro-Brazilian drummers, Maracatu Mar Aberto.
  • 6:45pm to 7:10pm
    The parade returns to the park and the performance begins of the Fear of the Year theatrical scenario/pageant with giant puppets and images, animators, live music and fire performers, New Model Circus Army.
  • 7:10pm to 7:30pm
    The audience parades down to the Valley of Remembrance for a concert of powerful and haunting polyphonic songs and a shadow show.

Venue & Address :

Christie Pits Park (750 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON M6G 3K4, westward, across from the Christie TTC subway station)

Parade Route

 

Halloween in Toronto

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