The air filled with feathers today in Toronto's Nathan Phiillips Square as more than 200 people squared off in a giant public pillow fight.  The event was organized by NewMindSpace, a Toronto public arts co-operative:

NewMindSpace organizes free, fun, all-ages events like parties on subway cars, public pillow fights, giant games of capture the flag on city streets, massive bubble battles, public art installations and much more. Newmindspace is committed to reclaiming public space, inventing new ways of having fun, and creating community.



I'm told the event was organized in part through the "Free Toronto" page on FaceBook (Toronto, by the way, has become the world capitol of FaceBook with more than 490,000 local members -- New York, by comparison, boasts only 203,000 members).  Pics of the event can be viewed here.

NewMindSpace is just one of many grass-roots organizations that are bringing new life to urban landscapes and in turn, creating a more vibrant experience for visitors.  Travelers are increasingly seeking out the new and unusual in travel destinations and "spontaneous" events such as pillow fights or bubble battles help to build a city's reputation for creating great vacation memories.

For a look at one of the more bizarre groups staging impromtu performance pieces, check out Improv Everywhere.  Their BestBuy stunt is a classic.

(Thanks to Jaunted.com, The Pop Culture Travel Guide, for picking up on our story.)