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
Cisco reveals security breach, warns of state-sponsored spy campaign
State-sponsored actors targeted security devices used by governments around the world, according to technology firm Cisco Systems, which said the network devices are coveted intrusion points by spies.
I just don't get Taylor Swift
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'oesn't get' the global phenomenom.
From New York to Arizona: Inside the head-spinning week of Trump's legal drama
The first criminal prosecution of a former president began in earnest with opening statements and testimony in a lower Manhattan courtroom. But the action quickly spread to involve more than half a dozen cases in four states and the nation's capital. Twice during the week, lawyers for Trump were simultaneously appearing in different courtrooms.
Tornadoes collapse buildings and level homes in Nebraska and Iowa
Tornadoes wreaked havoc Friday in the Midwest, causing a building to collapse with dozens of people inside and destroying and damaging hundreds of homes, many around Omaha, Neb.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
Invasive and toxic hammerhead worms make themselves at home in Ontario
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
opinion RFK Jr.'s presidential candidacy and its potential threat to Biden and Trump
Although it's still unclear how much damage Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s candidacy can do to either Joe Biden or Donald Trump this election, Washington political columnist Eric Ham says what is clear is both sides recognize the potential threat.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.