Oh baby it’s cold outside.
And it’s going to be cold for the rest of the year – as in New Year’s Eve.
But that’s not stopping several outdoor celebrations from forging ahead. They’re planning for the cold with heated outdoor stages, and plenty of opportunities for revellers to take some indoor breaks.
Hogmanay is a free Scottish-themed New Year’s Eve party at Ottawa City Hall. Scottish folk/rock band Wolfstone will headline the outdoor mainstage. But organizers say food and drink will be available indoors as well. “We’re hoping that people will come out, maybe nip back in again and have a drink, and maybe come back out again,” says John Ivison of the Ottawa Scottish Society.
The Sparks Street BIA is once again hosting the free, outdoor Capital Countdown, complete with a huge, lit-up maple leaf that will drop at midnight. K-OS is the headliner outside. But all the merchants along Sparks Streets will open their doors to anyone needing a quick warm-up inside.
Ottawa Councillor Rick Chiarelli is once again hosting the annual Alcohol-free Family New Year’s Eve party at Ben Franklin Place. There’s plenty of free indoor entertainment, along with outdoor skating, sleigh rides, and Ottawa’s only New Year’s Eve fireworks at 10pm.
If you crave the heat, and are willing to buy tickets, one of the hottest indoor events is Dancing In The Stars at the Ottawa Convention Centre. With all the windows you can look out on the cold New Year’s Eve in climate-controlled comfort.
And the “What Happens In Vegas” event at the Marriott Hotel is bringing a little Nevada desert heat to New Year’s Eve. It features a DJ, Vegas-style showgirls, and a top-floor casino.
Happy New Year!
