In year's past, those not interested in the corporate nature of official Nuit Blanche programming were offered lots of other options from Les Rues des Refusés, a renegade schedule of exhibits and installations organized by Stephanie Avery starting in 2008. Unfortunately, Avery's had to take the year off in terms of curating all these counter-events. And while LRDR looks to return next year, there are a still a few unofficial events that you should have on your radar if you're looking to do the Nuit Blanche thing in an unofficial capacity.

Drake Hotel
While the Drake is hosting an official exhibit, Daniel Barrow's "Telling Stories," there's a host of other stuff happening as well. There will be vaudevillian performances between 8pm and midnight, an interactive exhibit modeled after choose your own adventure, and a house party featuring Chicago DJs Flosstradamus. The best part? The Drake's selling booze until 4 a.m., so you can count on it being rammed. 1150 Queen Street West.

Nuit Blah
You know what Nuit Blanche could use more of? Music. But that's okay because there's always Nuit Blah, an all night music festival hosted at Encore Studios. Six bands, cheap alcohol, and a parking lot barbecue all around the corner from my apartment. Sold! Check out the Facebook event page for more details. Dovercourt and Geary.

Keyhole Sessions, Les Chevaux at Twist Gallery
As interesting as Nuit Blanche can be, naked people tend to trump most things in the excitement department. Case in point, here's a snippet from the event description: "Twist Gallery will be turned into a human carousel, where our models will be posing as colourful beasts for your drawing & perusing pleasure." Other key info: 1) it's free, 2) art materials are supplied and 3) tons of people are going to be there. 1100 Queen West.

Attack of the Zillion Dandy Butterflies at the Music Gallery
Do you like butterflies? Interactive exhibits? Then this one is for you. Pop by the Music Gallery during Nuit Blanche to check out an installation fashioned out of hundreds of audience-submitted butterflies. You can even add your own if you drop by between 5pm and the 7:30pm. 197 John Street.

Secret Flash Performance for Nuit Blanche
We don't have all the details yet, but we know something's going down on King West near 11pm on Saturday. We're told there will be an installation that'll last only 5 minutes and include a live performance from an international recording artist. For details, follow @BestFan on Twitter (linked above).

Renegade Parade
Even though the so-called Renegade Parade has become an official event, I keep it on this list because the betting's good that this city-wandering caravan will be just as unrestrained as in past years. If Nuit Blanche is more about having unmitigated fun than art appreciation, this is still the event for you. Art, as the organizers say, is experience — a point that has more registers than you might think. So live artistically on Saturday night! The Parade departs outside the ROM Crystal at 7:03pm and wanders the city until 11pm at which point it heads inside at the El Mocambo, also open until 4am.

Upate (1:00 p.m.)

I forgot an important one!

Morpheus Bondage Extravaganza
Having gotten caught up in the excitement of life drawing at Twist Gallery, I failed to mention the most stimulating of all the renegade exhibits. It's bondage central at the Great Hall all through the night. Check out the schedule here — not for prudes or the feint of heart.

Photo by Scott Snider