Internet Cat Video Festival Descends On Oakland

(@scottandthesea)

Last summer, Walker Art Center hosted the first ever internet cat video film festival in Minneapolis. The event, where cat lovers converged on the museum's lawn to watch popular videos on a huge screen, attracted 10,000 fans, along with a ton of media buzz. After the festival's success, its creators were inspired to pack up the cats and take the show on the road. This weekend, it arrived in Oakland, California for an "art & cat extravaganza" to benefit the East Bay SPCA.

NPR reports that an estimated 6,000 people showed up to Oakland Cat Vid Fest on Saturday, for an event that was part street fair, part feline film festival. 

Attendees were greeted to aerial performances:

A-Meow-zing aerial cat-inspired ballet on The Great Wall of Oakland at #oakcatvidfest twitter.com/Lbartsch/statu…
— Lynn Bartsch (@Lbartsch) May 12, 2013

People wore their finest feline fashions:

my #oakcatvidfest look twitter.com/haley/status/3…
— ↁᖇᗩᙅᗩᖇᎩᔕ (@haley) May 12, 2013

And did cat yoga:

#cat #yoga for our #yogi alisunnshine #oakcatvidfest @ Oaktown instagram.com/p/ZMIBLFkO0v/
— SYD (@PINA_KITT) May 11, 2013

You could get your face painted:

Cat face painting is a popular attraction at #oakcatvidfest! We love it! #cats #MeowMix twitter.com/meowmix/status…
— Meow Mix (@meowmix) May 12, 2013

Or adopt a kitten from the Island Cat Resources and Adoption booth:

4 week old kitten at the ICRA adoption booth at #oakcatvidfest instagram.com/p/ZMUBDvvcXh/
— Great WallOf Oakland (@GreatWallOak) May 12, 2013

Vendors sold cat art and other kitty related merchandise:

We're ready for you #oakcatvidfest !! twitter.com/p_on_p/status/…
— Pussies on Parade (@p_on_p) May 11, 2013

Pawesome cat printed cards by @foreignspell at #oakcatvidfest! #cats #MeowMix twitter.com/meowmix/status…
— Meow Mix (@meowmix) May 11, 2013

While feline film critics showed up on leashes:

"That's a cat on a leash. OMG THAT'S A CAT ON A LEASH." #quotesfrom #oakcatvidfest twitter.com/avfedorc/statu…
— Alexis Fedorchak (@avfedorc) May 11, 2013

...and in strollers:

Check out Teddy's swank kitty stroller at #oakcatvidfest ! instagram.com/p/ZMROg5vcSu/
— Great WallOf Oakland (@GreatWallOak) May 12, 2013

There was also a celebrity appearance by Dusty the Klepto cat (made famous by Must Love Cats and The Tonight Show):

Dusty the Klepto Kitty chats with KOIT's Charly Kayle at the #oakcatvidfest ! @ OakCatVidFest instagram.com/p/ZMhR5Kvcbz/
— Great WallOf Oakland (@GreatWallOak) May 12, 2013

Although reactions to seeing him were mixed:

Just saw @kleptocatdusty at the #oakcatvidfest so cute!!!! #cats
— Sarah Liller (@sarahliller) May 12, 2013

Dusty stole my wallet.#OakCatVidFest
— Jon Britton (@jonbritton) May 12, 2013

Of course, the main attraction was 70 minutes of curated cat videos, displayed on the side of a building:

Nothing like watching cat videos on a 100 ft wall with thousands of other cat-lovers #oakcatvidfest twitter.com/hana__hou/stat…
— Hana (@hana__hou) May 12, 2013

#oakcatvidfest vine.co/v/b0r5OFFIQmF
— Karen Kiely (@kazkiely) May 12, 2013

Even if some event-goers had to improvise: 

When you forget to bring a blanket/chair and sit on cat food bags waiting for #oakcatvidfest to start.
— Christel Joyce (@OneOddGerbil) May 12, 2013

But in the end, everyone had a great time:

#OakCatVidFest and some people dancing to music in their special headphones? #weirdnight #awesomenight vine.co/v/b0rbU2Z5nmM
— Chelsea Bond (@nomadchelsea) May 12, 2013

It was a dream come true for all cat lovers:

6-second tour of the Oakland Internet Cat Video Festival! #oakcatvidfest #cats #MeowMix #catvine vine.co/v/b0nDiT79KIu
— Meow Mix (@meowmix) May 12, 2013

And the mayor even declared it a very special day!

Oakland Mayor names today Internet Cat Video Day! #oakcatvidfest #catvidfest
— CatVidFest (@CatVidFest) May 12, 2013

In case you missed it, the original Cat Vid Fest is heading back to Minnesota this summer, with an all new curated collection of videos, and a larger venue. Tickets are on sale now for the event, which will take place on Wed., Aug. 28 at the Minnesota State Fair.