As we've seen at events like the Beer Festival and Dog Day Afternoon, Fort York is a great event venue. Despite the success of rock concerts and binge-drinking events (is there a difference?), I've always thought Fort York could be put to more appropriate uses. I mean, it's a fort - its events should involve sneaking and hiding and other elements that reinforce its fort-ness. This Friday just such an event is happening as Crate Productions overtakes Fort York (pun thoroughly intended) for a Groundhog Day photo scavenger hunt.

This ain't your run-of-the-mill find-historic-sites-and-check-them-off-your-list scavenger hunt: you've gotta bring a digital camera to be eligible to register, presumably to snap away at your findings. All eight of the fort's buildings are open for the event, and, as if the hunt wasn't enough, there's a dance party that goes through the rest of the night. The party includes an iPod spinoff where everyone is encouraged to bring an mp3 player with a song they think will fill the dance floor. Winners of the night's various contests get a crack at some impressive prizes, including a night in one of the Gladstone's artist-designed rooms.

The cost of the event is $10, with the doors opening at 8pm, by which time Wiarton Willie should have unleashed his winter prediction. In addition to an evening of sublunary fort-hunting and dancing, you'll have the satisfaction of knowing you helped raise funds for Crate Productions' next site-specific play, which just so happens to be set at Fort York on the eve of the Battle of York in the War of 1812.

More info about the event can be found on Crate Productions' myspace page.

Image by Martinho from the blogTO flickr pool.