Look up the Raindance tribe. I've seen Little John spinning off the back of a flat bed truck on 4th of July. The cops tried to stop him, and they just moved the truck somewhere else and started again.

Whoa there tiger! I think you've got a good idea here but you're making some pretty big assumptions and whether you choose to recognize it or not, there are some tactics that you can employ that will actually increase the success of an event such as this, rather than damper it. I'm all for renegade art, music, dance and community cheer, but here are some things to keep in mind.

No one can just go downtown and spin fire without it affecting both the fire spinning community in town or the public. Nocturnal Sunshine has been permitted for multiple spots downtown including "The Pit" next to Lulu's, Kianti's, the Vets Hall and the 418 Project. Permits require filling out some paperwork, paying $50 and working with city fire officials who can actually be quite nice and excited to bring such a thing to downtown. In the past we've made it the event planners or the establishment owner's responsibility to complete the permit paperwork with us and to pay the fee. This can be done at the fire admin building on Walnut St.

Theoretically, anyone could just go spin, but it's not officially permitted and could affect things in the future for responsible spinners. There are a lot of folks out there who spin carelessly and irresponsibly. All we need is one fuck-head with no safety to lose a poi into the audience or spin inebriated for public fire spinning to come to an abrupt halt and for it to become a risk of arrest if done without permit. For the same reason people don't just go around pissing on the sidewalk because they feel like it, how you conduct yourself around others in public affects the entire community. More so when you are doing something potentially dangerous like fire dancing.

A note about First Night in general. You're not as different as you may think. First Night was started on the east coast, Boston I think, as a community response to violence and vandalism that took place on New Years Eve. Community members gathered around the arts and enabled a grass roots movement to create a safe, festive and artful atmosphere to replace the negative and destructive elements. The movement has spread around the world since then and continues to be non-profit organizations in different cities.

You say it's OUR city, which also makes us responsible as community members for what we create in it. If you want to disrespect and step on the toes of a loved community event, you're going to experience resistance. If you want to enhance, expand, blow open and rejuvenate a loved community event, folks will probably be excited about it. Just think about your tactics if you really want to have wide and positively dramatic impacts. You're more than welcome to take the risks you speak of and to ask others to join. Are you ready to deal with how those risks will affect those that follow in years to come?

Have you had any conversations with the First Night folks about adding your creative idea to the festivities?