New Year's Eve celebration preparations underway in Barrie
Preparations are underway downtown Barrie as the city gets ready for its big New Year's Eve celebration.
The City of Barrie will ring in 2024 with its annual New Year's Eve Downtown Countdown, including several performances, vendors, activities, and fireworks displays.
"As you can see, we're building the stage just behind me here, and we're getting excited for a really big party," said Ashley Chappell, City of Barrie.
The festivities will kick off beginning at 6 p.m.
"We kick off the evening with our children's downtown countdown, which is really cute. We have Sunshine and Broccoli coming to do a big performance for us, and then we do a full countdown and fireworks for the kids at 8 p.m.," Chappell said. "Shortly after that, we start off with some of the adult fun where we have Bleeker coming, we have a local band coming called the Faculty, and then we've got our big headliner, which is Big Wreck, and they'll be hitting the stage before midnight and then a full countdown and fireworks," said Chappell.
There are road closures downtown that will be in place during the festivities, although officials with the city say free transit will be available.
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local news updates sent to your inbox
"It's a little bit more difficult to come downtown only because we did close down Collier Street because that's where we've got the stage being built, and it does fill up quickly down there, but it is easy to get downtown; I know Barrie Transit which is one of our partners have extended their transit service all the way through until three am and after five pm it's free. So, everyone can get home safely from the event as well."
Local stores in the city are also feeling New Year's Eve rush.
For 35 years now, The Party Store, which is a family-owned business, has been a staple for all big events and celebrations.
The owner, Brian Tracey, said New Year's Eve is the second busiest time of the year.
"Christmas, everyone's busy, everyone's shopping, at all the malls, and it's a real hustle to get everything done and then once that's over, they then relax and go 'oh my god, New Year's' so we do see a huge rush of people down to the last few days," he said.
Tracey added that some items get swept off the shelves sooner than others.
"Ballons really are the key item; if you're going to go to an event, you're going to expect some type of a horn or noise maker, some type of a hat, but it's really the balloons that make the party," Tracey said.
The Party Store is expecting one big last rush on Sunday morning.
As for the City of Barrie, officials anticipate roughly 10,000 people in attendance.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Serial sexual offender linked to unsolved 1970s homicides of four Calgary girls, women
An investigation into unsolved historical homicides from the 1970s has linked the deaths of two girls and two young women in and around Calgary to a now-deceased serial offender.
Woman with liver failure rejected for a transplant after medical review highlights alcohol use
For nearly three months, Amanda Huska has been in an Ontario hospital, part of it on life support, because of severe liver failure. Her history of alcohol use is getting in the way of her only potential treatment: a liver transplant.
BREAKING Craig Berube named as next head coach of Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs have named Craig Berube as their new head coach.
A look back at Alberta's record-breaking wildfire season
By the end of the 2023 wildfire season in Alberta, 1,088 wildfires had burned more than 2.2 million hectares of land, and this year, the wildfire season is already in full swing.
Person charged in random assault on actor Steve Buscemi in New York
A person wanted in connection with the random assault on actor Steve Buscemi on a New York City street earlier this month was taken into custody Friday, police said.
B.C. man 'attacked suddenly' by adult grizzly near Alberta boundary: RCMP
A B.C. man is recovering from multiple injuries after he was "attacked suddenly" by an adult grizzly bear near Elkford Thursday afternoon.
Australia's richest woman seeks removal of her portrait from exhibition
Art is subjective. And while many artists long to share their work with the world, there's no guarantee that the audience will understand it, or even like it.
Video appears to show Sean 'Diddy' Combs beating singer Cassie in hotel hallway in 2016
Security video aired by CNN appears to show Sean 'Diddy' Combs physically assaulting singer Cassie in a Los Angeles hotel hallway in 2016.
Anglers reel in 3.5-metre-long tiger shark off coast of Florida: 'She found my bait'
A group of fishers said it took roughly 20 minutes to reel in this 3.5-metre-long tiger shark off the coast of Florida.