All kinds of events for this year's Nuit blanche à Montréal - Bryan Perro, Penguins and Fantastic Creatures Around the Olympic Park!

MONTREAL, Feb. 7, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - On Saturday, February 25, fantastic creatures of all shapes and sizes will be flocking to the Olympic Park area for a mind-blowing all-nighter. The partners in this exceptional event, the Space for Life and the Olympic Park, have come up with an avalanche of amazing activities that kicks off at dusk, featuring will o' the wisps, knights and witches, storytellers and musicians. The stars of this extravagant Nuit blanche? Quebec master fantasy writer Bryan Perro and our friends the Biodôme penguins, which will be venturing outdoors to greet visitors! You can take a nighttime tour along the pathways through the Biodôme's ecosystems, marvel at projections of fabulous creatures on the Montréal Tower or don a mask and snorkel and admire contemporary works of art … the night's not long enough to experience it all!

The penguins come out to play!

It's a huge premiere you mustn't miss: at 5:30 p.m. we'll be rolling out the red carpet for a small group of penguins, as they take a stroll around the public square in the Grande Place. This is a first in the Biodôme's almost 20-year history! An icy world will be created just for them, so that visitors can see them close up. Not far away you can also admire some fascinating birds of prey, including a great horned owl. If the skies are clear, Venus, Jupiter and Mars will also be adding a special glow to the Fantastic Sky. You can check them out with the telescopes set up by Planetarium staff and amateur astronomers from the Société d'astronomie du Planétarium. Then pop inside the Biodôme and stroll through the ecosystems, seeing what the animals get up to at day's end - not to mention some other wild and crazy creatures that love animals and the night, during the Biodôme by Moonlight tour.

Bryan Perro's fantasy world

This year's very special guest is Bryan Perro. The winner of the 2006 Quebec award for young people's science fiction and fantasy writing will be sharing his experiences in the weird and wonderful world of his books. He'll be waiting for you in the Tourist Hall of the Montréal Tower at 6:30 p.m. Nearby, VJ Alexandre Girard, an illustrator who collaborates with the renowned author, will be projecting his creatures on the walls of the Montréal Tower during a visual performance, Imaginary Images. And there will be bizarre creatures roaming the observation deck of the Montréal Tower, too, during an Imagination Safari. Werewolves and other devilish beings will be meeting under the soft glow of Montréal skies. In the Grande Place, other surprises await: a witch, a gargoyle, knights and a fire-breathing Templar! Then there is the Raq-Attack quartet and its exotic rhythms, keeping the beat until the wee hours of the morning.

Meanwhile, one of the pools in the Sports Centre will be transformed into an underwater art gallery! Bring your bathing suit - you can rent snorkelling gear on site and dive into AQUART, featuring works by artists Jean-Louis Courteau, Pascal Lecocq and Jo-Ann Wilkins and others. As an additional treat, there will be open swimming until 2 a.m., for Watery Family Fun!

All activities are free, except the Biodôme by Moonlight and the Imagination Safari at the Montréal Tower. Special combined rate for these two activities: $22.50 for adults. Full details at montrealspaceforlife.ca and parcolympique.qc.ca

Space for Life
Nadine Fortin, Communications Co-ordinator
514 868-3053
[email protected]

Olympic Park
Christian Gagnon, Communications Advisor
514 252-4141 ext. 5108
[email protected]