New Year’s Eve Activities in Toronto
So it’s New Year’s Eve and you’re tired of doing the same old thing year after year, attending your friends’ parties and watching television while nibbling on chips and pretzels. Why not start your New Year off with a whole new approach in one of the greatest cities in the world – Toronto, Canada!
Aside from being one of the most multicultural cities in North America Toronto offers a great deal of variety for the tourist seeking to do something different for the holidays. Let’s take a look at just a few options for the weary traveller seeking something outside their hotel room and away from the television set.
The city of Toronto sits right on Lake Ontario, one of the Great Lakes and New Year’s Eve is a wonderful time to take advantage of the location by going out on a cruise! Down at the Toronto Harbour you can spend your New Year’s Eve warm and safe aboard a small cruise ship sailing out onto the lake and away from the bright lights of the city. This is a great romantic getaway for the couple who’ss seeking something just a bit different for their New Year’s Eve and who enjoy the water. The ship’s heated, so no fear of getting frostbite here! Hop on board early in the evening and cruise around Lake Ontario until the wee hours of the morning and welcome in the New Year in style!
And if you’re looking for something to occupy your time until the ship sets sail, why not take in the free Calvacade of Lights Festival? Running for almost forty years now, this wonderful display is one of the best-loved sights of Toronto in the holiday season and especially New Year’s Eve! Starting in late November when over a hundred thousand lights are turned on at Nathan Phillips Square in the center of the tourist district, the Calvacade spreads outwards into each neighborhood as individual displays are lit daily. No matter where you go in Toronto at this time of year you’re sure to see these beautiful displays lighting up the night as you prepare to celebrate the New Year!
And what if you like the hustle and bustle of crowds around you to bring in the New Year? Well, head on over to Nathan Phillips Square in the tourist area to enjoy a truly Canadian take on the New York Times Square experience – CITY-TV’s live broadcast and concert to bring in the New Year! Each year this major television station broadcasts live from the city square performances by Canadian performers as they prepare to celebrate New Year’s Eve with a loud and happy cheer. It may not be as crowded as New York City, but it’s certainly as noisy!
For those who might want to bring their children out to play on New Year’s Eve, there’s nothing like Toronto’s First Night Celebrations. Joining up with other cities around the country and indeed, around the world, this truly international effort prides itself on being not only family-friendly but also alcohol-free. One small fee gets you and your family a button that will let you into numerous events across the city, from face painting for your children to puppeteers showing off their talents to storytellers enthralling your little ones with tales of fantasy and wonder. Designed specifically to appeal to those with families or for those who wish to avoid the temptation of too much alcohol this is a great way to spend New Year’s Eve!
Another option for families is the New Year’s Eve party going on at the Scarborough Civic Center, on the outskirts of Toronto. Here you can enjoy ice-skating and entertainment of all kinds, from clowns and street performers to an old-fashioned hay ride! For those who want to stay out of the city core this is a great way to enjoy the New Year and miss some of the crush.
Of course for those couples who may not have children or who have managed to avoid them for the night there’s always the romantic option of taking a room at one of the many major hotels in downtown Toronto and partaking of their New Year’s Eve specials. Hotels like the Royal York have special packages aimed at the discriminating couple who may want to celebrate either privately or with others in a more formal setting.
Sitting directly on Lake Ontario stands Ontario Place, a major government entertainment center and open to the public year-round with an IMAX theater among other things. Each New Year’s Eve Ontario Place celebrates the season with Holiday Dreams, their contribution to New Year’s Eve with fireworks, free entertainment and laser light shows set to your favorite holiday tunes.
And if you’re more into the ethnic celebrations of New Year’s Eve, then you’re in luck – the Gibson House Museum is open and ready to bring in the New Year with an old-fashioned Scottish atmosphere that’ll have you enjoying your haggis while toasting your friends and family in old-time style! Why not imagine that you’re overseas in Scotland while partaking of some old recipes and some of the new to start the New Year off with a bang!
And, of course, like any major city Toronto has a variety of nightclubs and dance clubs that will be helping to bring in the New Year with as much flash, music and bright lights as they can. No matter what your taste is in music, you’re likely to find what you’re looking for in downtown Toronto as well as plenty of new friends to spend it with!
New Year’s Eve can be more than just the regular old party and television watching – in a bustling city like Toronto you can bring in the New Year in a variety of ways and styles that can fit anyone’s budget and expectations. Why not check out these great ways to spend New Year’s Eve and bring in the New Year with a whole new look?
