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I had the pleasure of attending this beautiful Christmas market in Sibiu, Romania a couple weeks ago. They certainly know how to liven up the place. Puts Edmonton to shame really

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New Year’s Eve Downtown Festival and Fireworks
Tuesday, December 20, 2022

This New Year’s Eve, bundle up the family and head to Sir Winston Churchill Square to usher in 2023 at the
New Year’s Eve Downtown Festival and Fireworks.

Date: Saturday December 31, 2022
Programming: 6:30pm to midnight
Fireworks: 8:30pm and midnight
Location: Sir Winston Churchill Square and City Hall Plaza
Cost: Free!

Returning to Sir Winston Churchill Square for the first time since 2016, this year’s celebration will include
an early fireworks show for families, as well as a traditional midnight fireworks display. The fireworks
shows, which will be approximately 12 minutes in length, will be launched into the skies over the pyramids
of City Hall.

Bring your skates and get your groove on as you take a spin on the City Hall Plaza ice rink to music by
DJ Funkasaurus Rex. Free skate rentals and skate aids will be available on a first-come, first-served
basis, and the skate change room will be open from 6pm to midnight.

Let our emcee Sissy Thiessen Kootenayoo guide you through a wonderful night full of exciting
performers. Musical performances by Melafrique, Anishinaabe singers and dancers Lead by Steven
O’Chiese, and Métis fiddler Colton Bear from Bear Country Band. Fire performances by FloWarrior,
and special figure skating performances from Ice Palace Figure Skating Club, along with roving stilt
walkers, jugglers, acrobatics, and singers throughout the evening. Warm up around a firepit, and
purchase a warm meal or snacks from on site food trucks. The Hallway Café will also be open for
warm drinks and sweet treats, accompanied by the musical talents of Sticks and Stone Percussion.

(Please note that, other than the Hallway Café, City Hall will not be open to the public on New Year’s Eve.)
See and experience the immersive light installations by Vignettes for a once in a lifetime photo
opportunity. Explore the enchanting art installations by Canadian artists Ken Hacke and Dylan Toymaker,
as their artworks fill Churchill Square and City Hall Plaza with the warm glow of the season. Let your
expressive side loose on the Happy Wall, a 17 metre long interactive public art installation, by Copenhagen
artist Thomas Dambo.

Then countdown to the New Year’s Eve fireworks at 8:30pm, and with Mayor Amarjeet Sohi at midnight.
Please note: High winds or severe weather may result in the cancellation of some outdoor activities. Visit
edmonton.ca/NewYearsEve for the most up-to-date event information.

Road Closures
Before, during and after the fireworks, there will be a number of road and sidewalk closures. To maximize
traffic and pedestrian flow while maintaining pedestrian safety throughout the event, the following
closures will be in effect until approximately 2am on January 1, 2023:
7:30am

● Full closure of 103A Avenue, from 100 Street to 99 Street
5pm
● Full closure of 99 Street, from 102 Avenue to 103A Avenue (including bike lane)
● Full closure of 100 Street, from 102 Avenue to 103A Avenue
● Full closure of 103A Avenue, from 97 Street to 101 Street
Sidewalk Closures
To ensure public safety, the sidewalks within the fireworks fallout zone will be closed to pedestrians from
5pm on December 31, 2022 until 2am on January 1, 2023.
Sidewalk closures will include:
● East and west sidewalks of 99 Street, between 103A Avenue and 103 Avenue
● East and west sidewalks of 100 Street, between 103A Avenue and 103 Avenue
● North and south sidewalks of 103A Avenue, between 97 Street and 101 Street
● CN bus loop (99 Street, between 99 Street and 100 Street)
● Pedestrians wishing to access the Stanley A. Milner Library Parkade during this time should use the
underground pedway system, which is accessible via:
○ Tix on the Square entrance (elevator available)
○ The Churchill LRT Station staircase, located on the southwest corner of Churchill Square,
and the west side of 99 Street by City Hall
○ Access from the Stanley A. Milner Library Parkade to the pedway system is available on P2
(Parking Level 2)

Free New Year's Eve Public Transit Service
Edmonton Transit Service is pleased to get you where you need to go, safely and conveniently. Start your
New Year by taking transit to and from your New Year’s Eve celebrations. Riders can board buses, LRT and
DATS for free starting at 6pm on December 31, until the end of service at around 3am on January 1.
Riders can plan their trips using real-time tools (Transit app, Google maps), or using the Trip Planner at
edmonton.ca/transit.

For regional service information, please contact St. Albert Transit at 780-418-6060, Strathcona County
Transit at 780-464-7433, or Leduc Transit at 780-986-7433.
Parking

● Please note: The City Hall Parkade will be closed at 5pm on December 31. NO PUBLIC PARKING OR
ACCESS will be available during the event, as the area falls within the fireworks safety zone.
● Parking will be available in the Canada Place Parkade via the 97 Street entrance, and in the Stanley
A. Milner Library Parkade for $5/hr ($10 maximum from 5pm–2am).
● Both the Canada Place and the Stanley A. Milner Library Parkades have elevator access for
accessibility.

edmonton.ca/NewYearsEve
 
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Indeed.

Here's hoping they get another cafe/bistro there to take advantage of the new connector and recovering foot traffic.
I'd love to see the former Burrow (Nate Box's short-lived cafe in Central Station) move above ground into that space.
 
I loved Burrow, but it was the slowest joint ever.

But yes, an indie would have been nice...
 
^ a perfect example of "if you build it, no-one will come"; that "stage" was there for decades and I don't think it was used more than a half dozen times, if that. Any theories as to why it was such an abject failure? (apart from the fact it had no lighting, no sound reinforcement and nobody programming it).
 
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For starters, the plaza was enclosed for most passersby. Will this new renovation opens things up more? I hope so, but I have a feeling this won't do.
 
Almost anything will be an improvement over the last plaza; as mentioned though, it is about activation, programming and cleanliness.

I still don't understand why the kids play space is not directly off of the kids space in the library in the southeast corner next to the building.
 

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