Scotiabank Nuit Blanche 2008 returns with a vengeance on Saturday October 4, and with 195 exhibits and an expected 800,000 visitors for this one-night dusk-till-dawn event... they're soon going to need a bigger boat.

Now in its third year, Scotiabank's Nuit Blanche is something I highly anticipate every year. Where else can I see so many artists willing to involve ME in their exhibits? But at an event of this size and scope, I haven't been able to satisfy my ego - 195 exhibits, 12 hours... the math just doesn't figure. At least this year's curators have revealed the line up early, so I can plan my strategy and cover as much ground as possible.

At this morning's press conference I learned that despite the event's exponential growth in both artistry and attendance, Nuit Blanche would again be contained within a one-night affair. Mayor David Miller and Minister of Culture Aileen Carroll were on hand along with this year's curators to help unveil the Scotiabank Nuit Blanche 2008 line up. With three Zones spread across the city from the Financial District to Liberty Village, there's a lot of ground to cover.

Gordon Hatt, Curator of Zone A, discussed plans for public spaces like Toronto's City Hall towers, the Ontario Power Generation building, Maple Leaf Gardens, the Eaton's Centre and other famous locations that promise to completely transform the spaces. 15 Seconds, 2008 by Daniel Olsen of Montreal will probably be my first stop; the artist will be capturing pedestrians in a spot light from up in a tower above Yonge and Dundas square. If I can't hit up every event, I'll at least have my 15 seconds of awkward fame. My next stop, College Park for Jillian McDonald's Zombies in Condoland ...need I say more? Finally, I'll go make some noise as there are tons of exhibits to exploit the senses, like open call entrants Mahan Javadi and Bruno Billio's exhibit Urban Voice Oscillator.

With a one-time cash injection from the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund and ongoing commitment from its title sponsor, the Scotiabank Nuit Blanche will be back for at least the next three consecutive years. I'll be watching the official website for a complete list and schedule of events... I only hope that in the coming years they consider getting a bigger (3 day) boat.