Spontaneous Urban Gatherings: From Flash Mobs to Public Parties and Pillow Fights

Spontaneous Urban Gatherings: From Subway Parties to Pillow Fights

Flash Mobs

What is urban life without a little excitement, spontaneity and strangeness? A popular article on unusually legal street art prompted some of our readers to inquire about organizing or attending flash mob events. The internet has, fortunately, made the organization of these urban events a whole lot easier. However, flash mobs aren’t just about gathering at a store to stare at a carpet.

Subway Parties

Subway parties and subway installation art vary in terms of legality, but can add some color and interest to an otherwise uneventful ride. Of course, subway cars provide some interesting built-in features, such as poles for dancing, in addition to party favors brought on board. Some subway parties have themes, while others are simply named with the color or number of the train or line.

Flash Pillow Fight

Believe it or not, a popular kind of spontaneous urban gathering is a pillow fight flash mob. These can have all kinds of interesting themes including Christmas, resulting in the Santa pillow-fighting squad seen above. Some of these affairs, such as a recent pillow fight on the streets of San Francisco, have even been caught on video.

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Posted by Urbanist September 3rd, 2007
Urban, Urban Art, Urban Images
Comments: 27

Comments

Comment from Teckh
Time: September 3, 2007, 5:02 am

I always found these weird. I guess it shows a great example of group thinking and organization.

Comment from AgentSully
Time: September 3, 2007, 9:27 am

what a fun idea!!!

Comment from CHESSNOID
Time: September 3, 2007, 10:04 am

I have read and seen the spontaneous gatherings (mall and subway parties) before, but this is the first time I have seen pillow fight gatherings. Look like fun on the video.

Comment from Online TV
Time: September 4, 2007, 12:23 am

They’re called burst mobs or flash mobs. It’s basically a form of crowdsourcing using technology like cell phones, text messaging or email to attract a large gathering of people into some venue. They did it with the second last Harry Potter book release, where they got a whole bunch of people to show up at a book signing and all ask the same totally unrelated question to the author.

Others include the party on the subway, which was first done in New York - as seen in that movie Party Monster.

Comment from BanjoPlayingHamster
Time: September 4, 2007, 1:19 am

Wot, no zombie flash mob? No “let’s all sing obscure ABBA B side cover” gatherings? No “taunt a developmentally challenged Angolan hyena” conventions?

–

The Banjo Players Must Die

Comment from unibonger
Time: September 4, 2007, 1:31 am

Forgot to mention the zombie flash mobs

Comment from Blackbrutha
Time: September 4, 2007, 4:21 am

off the hook

Comment from Kablam
Time: September 4, 2007, 4:43 am

flashmobs are fun

i like the pillow fight club, and the stunts organised by improv everywhere.

theres a good documentary on them here http://www.kablam.tv/flashmob

Comment from Roma
Time: September 4, 2007, 5:48 am

Hey, looked like a TON of fun, but how did all those feathers get cleaned up?!

Comment from Ya
Time: September 4, 2007, 5:59 am

Comment from AnusJuice.com
Time: September 4, 2007, 7:03 am

Now a water gun fight would be cool.

Comment from Alex
Time: September 4, 2007, 7:12 am

i’ve attended a subway party in montreal organized by newmindspace, it was great, seeing people’s reactions who were waiting for the subway was half of the enjoyment

Comment from Rick
Time: September 4, 2007, 8:16 am

Check out http://www.newmindspace.com/

They’ve been organizing this sort of stuff in Toronto for a few years now.

Comment from Maureen
Time: September 4, 2007, 9:09 am

I was fortunate enough to catch the flash mob pillow fight in Love Park in Philadelphia this year. It was a site to behold, to say the least. Pillow fighting strangers with befuddled tourists caught in the fray…

Comment from Zombified
Time: September 4, 2007, 9:40 am

My favorite are the Zombie flash mobs.

Comment from Seitan’s Angel
Time: September 4, 2007, 12:02 pm

Seattle Recently held its first annual ZOMBIE MARCH!
On the 100th year anniversary of pike place market the zombies took over!
I encourage every major city to organize one of its own.
http://www.myspace.com/seattlezombiemarch for some excellent pics

Comment from john
Time: September 5, 2007, 3:19 pm

love this. we had a giant pillow fight last year in union square new york city. was a great time and laugh. thanks for the photos.

Comment from Adrienne Zurub
Time: September 5, 2007, 8:46 pm

That pillow fight looks like FUN! That would be a great flash theme event for where I live. Except, must people here are afraid of urbanity. People here treasure the suburbs and distance and isolation.

Hell, I’m going to San Francisco to join a flash mob and party!

Adrienne Zurub
author,
‘Notes From the Mothership ~ The Naked Invisibles’
http://adriennezurub.typepad.com

Comment from zack
Time: March 16, 2008, 7:15 pm

looks fun!!! flashmobs most fun, i think :D

Comment from borch3z
Time: April 24, 2008, 9:39 am

I attended a pillow fight in Old Town Square in the middle of Prague this last winter and it was truly a site to behold, and the activity had quite a bit of viewers because of the site being one of the largest tourist areas in Prague. Tons of tourists were standing around watching, most likely thinking, why wasn’t I invited to this?