It started with just a few people from theater, dance, music, museums, and the Fine Arts Fund staff, and grew to include hundreds of Cincinnati residents.

Even though the initial invitation didn’t say what the participants would be doing, hundreds of people signed on to show their enthusiasm for the arts. We successfully kept the secret for weeks because we all shared the goal of touching others in our community with the unexpectedness of the event.

Dance breaks out on Fountain Square

Just after 12:30 p.m., as the song “Bop ‘Til You Drop” by the Nylons blared from the square’s loud speakers, a few people emerged from the lunchtime crowd and began dancing.

More joined in. Then more, until about 150 people – some wearing suits, some in T-shirts and jeans – were moving to the music in unison on the southern edge of the square.

Then as suddenly as it began, it was over. The song ended. The dancers dispersed. Fountain Square was back to normal.

Read the Enquirer article, and watch the video below.

After a successful 2008 PARK(ing) Day in Cincinnati, it hopes to be even bigger this year!  Mark you calendars.  On Friday, September 18, 2009, creative types from all over the region will descend upon downtown and OTR to reclaim some of the parts of our concrete jungle dedicated to the automobile — at least for a day.

San Francisco art collective REBAR first created “PARK(ing)” in 2005 to re-imagine the potential of the metered parking space. In 2006, it went global.

For details, check out the Cincinnati PARK(ing) Day blog, and follow @CincyPkgDay (Cincy Package Day?) on Twitter.

You can see all pictures from Santacon on Zipscene.

Be ready.

via 5chw4r7z.

This PARK[ing] spot lasted maybe an hour during rush hour yesterday morning, before it had to be packed up. Just a hop and a skip south of Fountain Square, this was definitely the most audacious location. Thank you, John and Alicia, for putting on the show!

- Visualingual » Corner of Fifth and Walnut

The following photos are from the Cincinnati PARK[ing] Day Flickr pool.  Be sure to check out the others.  And look for wrap-up news on the Cincinnati PARK[ing] Day blog.

I have heard about PARK[ing] Day in other cities somewhere before.  So imagine my delight when I came across Cincinnati PARK[ing] Day scheduled for next month (I’m always the last to know)!

From the Cincinnati PARK[ing] Day blog:

“Cincinnati PARK[ing] Day” call for entries (Posted: Aug. 6, 2008) — Cincinnati PARK[ing] Day announces a call to citizens for the second annual “Cincinnati PARK[ing] Day” to be held Sept. 19, 2008 in parking spaces around Cincinnati. This is a one-day, global event in which artists, activists, and citizens collaborate to temporarily transform parking spots into public parks and alternative public spaces. Parking spaces show the fundamental elements of a good outdoor public space and may include seating, shade, and a place to watch people, exchange information, and view scenery. Each parking spot can be transformed into a park, playground, puppet show, or whatever you like.

But they need some time to organize, so the call for entries requests they be done by Sept. 5, 2008.  For more information, visit the blog and the original PARK[ing] Day website.

Photo from Cleveland PARKing Day 2006

Past leaders of the Chicken Dance include:

• Crown Prince of Bavaria
• Weird Al Yankovic
• Davy Jones
• Verne Troyer
• Vince Neil

More info at Oktoberfest-Zinzinnati.

Need:

•  200 of your closest friends.
• 200 of your closest friends’ beers of choice.

Plan:

City Hall won’t block off Main Street to create an appealing and enjoyable downtown weekend entertainment area, so we’ll just have to do it ourselves. They’re too uptight to take the risk, probably afraid of riots and/or vandalism. If they keep it contained to Main St. then all they have to do literally is throw up some barricades and set out a few extra trash cans.

This will require extreme discretion and planning about a week ahead of time via email.

Plan A: At the appointed time on the appointed night, get your 200 friends to converge onto Main and 12th from different directions. Be sure that everyone has their own drink (and only one drink – for the first time, we want to start small). After everyone finishes his/her drink, disperse back from whence they came quickly, bringing your emptied container with you.

Plan B: At the appointed night, get your 200 friends to spread themselves out amongst all the bars on Main St. (Jefferson Hall, RBC’s, Jekyll & Hyde’s, Mr. Pitiful’s, Harry’s, Main City/Moose’s, Courtyard Cafe, etc.) At the appointed time, everyone walk out into the street carrying a drink (and only one drink – for the first time we want to start small). After everyone finishes his/her drink, return to a different bar or leave the area quickly, bringing your emptied container with you.

Be sure to bring a camera.

via greg

Fore more information, visit http://www.flashmobs.info and http://flashmob.com.