Region hosts New Year’s Eve celebrations for 2024

Cambridge, Waterloo and Kitchener are all set to host events and celebrations for New Year’s Eve on December 31.

All three are hosting family-friendly events that include ice skating. The City of Kitchener will be the only one offering a countdown to midnight to celebrate the big day.

From 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Create Waterloo is hosting a New Year’s Eve celebration in Waterloo Public Square.

It will have a DJ, local craft makers, festive treats and hot apple cider.

Lakyn Barton is the festival and event specialist for the City of Waterloo and helped coordinate the event. She said the event will be for all ages.

“It’ll just be a family friendly event that we bring in the New Year, enjoy the uptown rink and gather together as a community. It’s going to be a fun time,” said Barton.

Attendees will need to bring their own skate or rent them from the Waterloo Library.

“The rink will be open after so if people want to stay and continue to skate but the music, the crafts and the hot apple cider will only be until 9 p.m..”

Barton says if the rain starts, the event may be canceled. Updated information will be available on Create Waterloo’s Facebook page or at waterloo.ca/events.

Kitchener’s event is happening at Carl Zehr Square and goes from 7 p.m. to midnight.

Kitchener’s event for New Year’s Eve is aiming to be more musical with more performances lined up for the special day. Kitchener is hosting ‘Night of Legends’ which is a night full of tribute bands from the seventies and eighties.  

Manager of Special Events for City of Kitchener, Steve Roth, said they wanted to plan something new for the city this year.

“When you look like at the playbill, Spice Girls, Bee Gees, Cher and Freddie Mercury, obviously a lot of fun, I think were looking at, when we put this playbill together, a chance just to be grateful that we’ve had a great year, we’re moving into a new year, lets celebrate,” said Roth.

The night starts with a Spice Girl’s tribute band at 8:30 p.m. then follows with an early countdown to 2024 for families with kids. The Bee Gee’s tribute band plays at 10:30 p.m. followed by Cher and Freddie Mercury tributes.

A countdown to 2024 starts just a minute before midnight.

“You can do some skating, watch some live music, have some free hot chocolate, there will be party favors, hats, New Year’s Eve glasses, should be fun,” said Roth.

Roth says the event will be rain or shine downtown Kitchener.

Cambridge is also hosting a New Year’s Eve event at the Hespeler Arena on Sunday, December 31. It runs from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. that day.

Performances by Team T&J will run from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Beehive Hall.

The evening will host activities for all ages on and off the ice. Each family will get one hour of free skating at a time of their choice but ice times are limited for safety reasons.

The event will have a Turbo Max inflatable obstacle course, live entertainment, a Lego Fun Zone, games and more. The concession stand will be open that evening for food and beverages.

The evening is packed with free activities for all ages on and off the ice. Festivities will include ice skating, a Turbo Max inflatable obstacle course, live entertainment, Lego Fun Zone, games and more. The concession stand will be open with snacks for sale.

Upon arrival, each family will be offered one hour of skating at a time of their choice. Ice times are limited for the safety of everyone.