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Food & Drink

Toronto New Year’s Eve celebrations: a 10-part field guide

By Karon Liu
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Toronto New Year’s Eve celebrations: a 10-part field guide
Venue: Nathan Phillips Square
Dining options: $3 hot dogs ($5 with fries)
Libations: Tim Hortons and Starbucks to offset the hypothermia—that is, if it’s even possible to get inside the coffee joints, which have to serve hundreds of people throughout the night
Atmosphere: Collective feigned enthusiasm to mask the bitterness of not having worn enough layers, kids asking how much longer till midnight
Entertainment: Scripted bantering by newscasters, an unidentifiable VJ, Shawn Desman/Danny Fernandes/Massari (it’s Karl Wolf this year), Jarvis Church, Anjulie, Kardinal Offishall, cast of Rock of Ages, the Mission District
Likely to happen at midnight: A good but modest fireworks display so as not to set the city on fire, followed by a massive evacuation at 12:01 in order to beat the traffic
Who will be there: Out-of-towners, fathers with shoulders strained from carrying their kids all night
Who should go: Junior high students venturing downtown for the first time without parents, boyfriends who want to be that guy who proposes on live TV, families composed of people who really get along with each other
Avoid if: You have a TV that carries CityTV
100 Queen St. W., event Web site. Free.
Photo by Photopia

Choosing one New Year’s Eve event over hundreds of others can be daunting, especially when all the descriptions meld together with promises of a glass of champagne (read: cheap sparkling wine) and various misspellings of “hors d’oeuvre.” To help in the decision-making process, here’s a roundup of 10 very different events taking place on December 31st.

(Looking for the best NYE prix fixe menus? Click here »)

Toronto New Year’s Eve celebrations: a 10-part field guide
Toronto New Year’s Eve celebrations: a 10-part field guide
Toronto New Year’s Eve celebrations: a 10-part field guide
Toronto New Year’s Eve celebrations: a 10-part field guide
Toronto New Year’s Eve celebrations: a 10-part field guide
Toronto New Year’s Eve celebrations: a 10-part field guide
Toronto New Year’s Eve celebrations: a 10-part field guide
Toronto New Year’s Eve celebrations: a 10-part field guide
Toronto New Year’s Eve celebrations: a 10-part field guide
Toronto New Year’s Eve celebrations: a 10-part field guide

Also: Check out our picks for the best NYE prix fixe menus »

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