Here are all the details from the Town of Orangeville, which is hosting a special celebration this year.
Orangeville is wrapping up its sesquicentennial year with the December 31 First Night celebration. The New Year’s Eve family event is expected to draw more people than ever, with additional features to mark the wrap-up to the Town’s 150th birthday celebrations. First Night takes places at the Tony Rose Memorial Sports Centre at 6 Northmen Way on December 31, 2013 from 6-9:30 p.m. Admission and activities are free to the public. From horse-drawn wagon rides to free swimming and skating, there is something for all ages at the First Night celebration. There will be six skating times, starting at 6 p.m. on A rink and 6:30 p.m. on B rink. Come early and get your wristbands as there’s a capacity limit of 150 people per ice pad. Free swimming will run from 6:30-8 p.m.
The Campfire Poets will perform on an outdoor stage from 7:15-9:15 p.m., following a performance by local entertainers from 6-7 p.m. A Much Video Dance youth dance with local disc jockeys is slated for the banquet hall (ages 10-18). Entertainment also includes carnival rides, a caricaturist Caroline Holdroyd, face painting, Lofty the Magician, Al “the Pal” Shipway, a rock climbing wall, children’s crafts, plus foosball, ping pong and Wii. Food will be available at the event – indoors and outdoors.
A popular attraction is Game Asylum – a mobile video game party experience. It’s a mobile video game arcade in a 36-foot tractor trailer that can accommodate 16 participants at one time. Four giant screens are complemented by theatre-grade directional Dolby sound and game-oriented rumble seats. A fireworks show, produced by David Whysall International Fireworks, is scheduled for 9:30 p.m.
“The Town has been putting together a First Night celebration for 10 years and this year’s show sounds amazing, particularly as a wrap-up to the Town’s 150th birthday,” Mayor Rob Adams said. “It’s a huge advantage to have both indoor and outdoor activities, at no cost to participants, and a range of entertaining events.”
Parking will be available at Orangeville District Secondary School (with access via Faulkner Street only), Princess Elizabeth Public School, Upper Grand District School Board parking lot on Amelia Street, and the Dufferin County Courthouse parking lot on Elizabeth Street. There will be no parking available at the Tony Rose Memorial Sports Centre. Free Orangeville Transit service will be offered from 6-10:30 p.m. on December 31, with regular routes plus a special First Night event shuttle between Orangeville Transit transfer point (Fourth Street and Broadway) and Tony Rose Memorial Sports Centre. This free service is provided courtesy of the Town of Orangeville.
