Whack! Sometime in the 1990s, almost a decade before "inventor of the flashmob" Bill Wasik convinced a few dozen people to stand in a department store in New York, people started organizing massive pillow fights. This fact, among other things, led Newmindspace (myself and Lori Kufner) to declare, "our events are not flashmobs!"

Whatever you call them, though, there is a massive, free, and very fun one coming up this Saturday! Hundreds or thousands are expected to gather in Nathan Phillips Square for what organizers hope will become an annual tradition: Toronto's pillow fight. Participants are asked to bring a pillow to the square by 3 p.m. and wait for the signal. A couple of common-sense guidelines, like swinging lightly and removing glasses beforehand, are available on the website.

For the city's socially networked, you can connect to the event via Facebook where participants are excitedly discussing tactical strategy. An intensive cleanup is planned with the stated goal of Leave No Trace. If you are interested in helping with this ambitious endeavor, check out the wiki. And for those of you wondering about the environmental impact (or the geese), there's something for you guys too.

We hope to see you out there in front of City Hall this Saturday at 3 p.m. with pillow in hand!

Photo by Sam Javanrouh of Daily Dose of Imagery.