Whether you’re looking for a quiet, romantic evening for two or to ring in the New Year surrounded by friends and strangers, there is no lack of events taking place in the Greater Moncton area for you to consider.
Here is a run-down of various activities taking place in the Hub City this New Year’s Eve.
At the Oxygen Complex in Downtown Moncton, there is a mix of live entertainment along with DJ’s spinning tunes throughout the three clubs in the complex. DJ Bones will be presiding over his legendary Indie Pop Night in the Paramount Lounge portion of the complex while DJ Element will be playing 2009’s biggest hits in the Oxygen club itself.
In the Manhattan Bar and Grill, a host of 10 Moncton-area bands will be performing. Rather than playing their original material as would normally be the case, each group will be playing a set dedicated to one specific band that they have chosen to cover.
Moncton bands such as Subliminal, Hope, Dischord, and Seconds Down will be covering bands ranging from Down, Descendents, Slayer and Bigwig. This will also most likely be the only opportunity to hear Moncton band Something Delicious covering Justin Timberlake so if you’re looking to see your favourite Moncton bands stretch their musical horizons for an evening, The Manhattan is going to be the place to be.
One price covers all for the events taking place at the Oxygen Complex on New Year’s Eve. While ladies get in free of charge, admission is $15 for gents. The party gets underway at 8:30 pm.
At Saxby’s Pub in Riverview, Moncton country outlaws The Divorcees are in the house. So if you’re in the mood for a little honky-tonk to help ring in the New Year, Saxby’s will be the place to be starting at 8 p.m. The Divorcees will be their own opening act for their evening at Saxby’s, playing a set of “unplugged” songs and following that up with a regular full-band set.
A $20 admission gets you in the door to see the show and also includes appetizers, celebratory champagne and a host of prizes available to be won. For $25, you can get all of the above plus a western style rib dinner. Advance tickets to this event are available at Saxby’s as well as at Plan B on St George Street.
At the Old Cosmo in Downtown Moncton, Urban Myth are holding court in the basement from 10 p.m. through to 3 a.m. while upstairs, DJ Cosmic Kid will be playing all of the biggest hits from 2009. Tickets to this event are $7 in advance (available at the club) and $10 at the door.
The Moncton Ale House, located at 841 Main Street is all set to ring in their first New Year’s Eve in Moncton. Doors to the venue open at 8:30 p.m. with Mystics and Stone Mary offering live entertainment on the bottom floor with DJ Dee ler E ous taking care of business on the club’s top floor.
Note that semi-formal dress is a requirement to attend the venue on New Year’s Eve so be sure to leave your torn jeans and belly t-shirts at home! Advanced tickets to the Moncton Ale House’s New Year’s Eve celebration are $30 in advance (available at Read’s Newsstand on Main St) and $40 at the door.
If you’re looking to stay away from the nightclub scene and prefer to bring in 2010 on a more subdued note, you have a wealth of options available to you.
The Crowne Plaza Hotel on Main Street has a number of options available for their New Year’s Eve celebrations. The hotel’s 1950-60’s inspired New Year’s Eve Ball has packages for both singles and couples, ranging from $129 to $299 for the most luxurious package.
No matter what deal you opt for, each package offered by the Crowne Plaza includes a six-course gala dinner, a complimentary welcome cocktail as well as a complimentary glass of champagne to toast the New Year countdown.
The pricing variance for the hotel’s New Year’s Eve festivities is determined by what type of accommodations you feel like splurging on for the evening. The $129 package offers no lodging accommodations for the evening while the most expansive package ($299) offers all of the above dinner options along with one night’s accommodations, a New Years Day brunch and a 4 p.m. late checkout the next day.
If you happen to be looking for some romantic fine dining with your significant other to ring in the New Year, there are plenty of tantalizing options for you to consider.
St. James Gate on Church Street in Moncton is offering two seating times for those who would like to join them for dinner. The first seating is at 6 p.m., the second at 9 p.m. While patrons are welcome to order from the restaurant’s regular menu, they are also offering a set menu for the evening which includes an appetizer, main course and desert for $55 per person. New Year’s Eve entertainment for St. James Gate patrons will be provided by Acadian rockers Garoche.
Pisces By Gaston at 300 Main Street in Moncton is also offering a New Year’s Eve dinner special. For $75, patrons will enjoy two appetizers, a main course as well as desert. Reservations are not required but are highly recommended; the restaurant can be contacted at 854-0444.
For those of you like me who will be celebrating New Years Eve with little ones in tow, there are family-friendly activities to take in on New Year’s Eve as well.
Free family ice skating is being offered at the Byron Dobson Arena in Riverview at 1:30 p.m. while the Moncton Wildcats will be hitting the ice at the Moncton Coliseum at 7 p.m., taking on the Saint John Seadogs.
If you intend on heading out and partaking in some partying on New Year’s Eve, be sure to have arranged for a designated driver or, alternately, use one of Metro Moncton’s taxi companies to get you home safely.
[here] wishes all of its readers the very best wishes for 2010!