Celebrations will be happening around the Red Deer area this weekend to mark the end of 2023 and the start of a brand-new year.
From a two-day dance party to a dinner-side performance by a mariachi band, your choice of entertainment could depend on your stamina level.
The electronic music starts up at 9 p.m. on Saturday night at the Glitter and Glow New Year’s event — and it continues on through New Year’s Eve Sunday night. Featuring performances by Eric Allen, Rich Glow, Van Damage, K2, Sean Lamb, Charles Parker and more, the dance party will take up the entire eighth floor of the Stantec Building, with floor-to-ceiling windows offering a 360-degree views of Red Deer’s downtown. (Tickets are through showpass.com.)
Meanwhile, many local live music venues are also offering music, as well as midnight champagne toasts, confetti guns and snacks.
This includes the Silver Buckle in the Quality Inn hosting a 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. New Year’s Eve Cowboy Rave on Sunday, with entertainment by DJ Shugaboy. (The same venue will be holding a “Pre-New Year’s Eve” event on Saturday night, featuring musician Brandon Lorenzo.)
The Vat Pub will feature Hytami and Phonik OPS and special guests on New Year’s Eve, while Bo’s Bar and Stage will present a throwback Y2K New Year’s Eve party with The Discmen, celebrating “Big Shiny Tunes and the Millennium.”
For a more laid-back vibe, several area restaurants will be bringing in live music — including the Mariachi Borealis band, entertaining at Red Deer’s Taco Loft on Sunday night.
Red Deer singer Randi Boulton will perform on New Year’s Eve at the Black and White Gala at the Son of a Beach restaurant on Sylvan Lake’s Lakeshore Drive. Diners are invited to “dress to impress” in black and white attire to ring in 2024.
And the Canadian Brew House in Red Deer will be hosting a special New Year’s Eve party with a prize draw.
As for parents with younger kids, a Rockin’ New Year’s Family Party will be held Sunday evening at the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame with a DJ, party games, pizza and museum access from 6 p.m. (Yes, the balloon will drop at 9 p.m.)
To help 2024 enter with a bang, the Town of Sylvan Lake will once again be setting off a Jan. 1 fireworks display at 7 p.m., above the main pier.
While the fireworks are free to experience, more information about ticketed New Year’s Eve events are available from the venues.
