By Melissa Martz
Nothing much in life is free, but when it’s time to ring in the new year in Kitchener, even though there are house parties, night clubs, restaurants, or quiet nights at home with your family with take-out food and a movie, nothing compares to Kitchener City Hall New Year’s Eve 2013 celebrations because of the free factor.
Kitchener City Hall has had a long standing tradition of providing a free New Year’s Eve celebration. Formerly called “Festival of the Night,” and now simply called “New Year’s Celebration,” the New Year’s Eve event becomes bigger and bigger every year. This year, King Street will be closed down to make this year their biggest event ever, especially since it will wrap up Kitchener 100…2012 marked 100 years since Kitchener was incorporated as a city (it was formerly the Town of Berlin). The evening begins with kids’ activities between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. including Magician Ryan Brown and Erick Traplin, arts and crafts tables, free hot chocolate, face painting, ice skating and a Kiddie Countdown in the Rotunda at 6 p.m. led by popular family entertainer Erick Traplin. A Resolution Wall rounds out the several activities families can participate in. It’s hard to determine how many families come, but one thing is for sure: the place is packed, and becomes moreso each year due to word of mouth.
At 7 p.m., the Rotunda will be transformed into Club Rotunda featuring DJ Attila, a dance floor, VIP lounges, flat screens, gaming stations, open drink bar (non-alcoholic) and more. The King Street Main Stage features Blues artists Cheryl Lescom at 8 p.m., Loco Zydeco at 9:30 p.m. and Lumerjunk at 11 p.m., who will help downtown Kitchener say goodbye to 2012 and say hello to 2013.
Kitchener City Hall offers something to intrigue every age group on New Year’s Eve 2013 between 4 p.m. and midnight. If you’re in the Kitchener-Waterloo area on New Year’s Eve, be sure to check it out!
