Ottawa New Year's Eve Events - December 31, 2012

How do you want to celebrate New Year's Eve in Ottawa? With friends and family? With your kids? A formal black tie event? Dancing and champagne? Here are some suggestion for things to do on New Year's in Ottawa on December 31, 2012.

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Are there fireworks on New Year's Eve?

For the first time this year, there is a fireworks show planned for downtown Ottawa. It's part of the TD Hogmanay Scottish New Year's Party at Ottawa City Hall. This is the inaugural year for the event. It's free, and includes skating on the Rink of Dreams, Celtic bands, ice sculpting, Highland dancing, scotch tasting, bagpipes and more. At midnight, as headliners The Barra MacNeils finish their set, they'll play Auld Lang Syne and launch some fireworks from the roof of City Hall. It's a six minute show produced by Apogee Fireworks out of Montreal.
There's also a family event at Ben Franklin Place (the old Nepean City Hall) in Centrepointe. Rick Chiarelli's Rockin' New Year's Eve is an alcohol-free event including magicians, games, dancers, face painting, skating, sleigh rides and yes, fireworks. The fireworks start at 10:00pm so you can get your kids home early for bed.
There are no fireworks planned for Parliament Hill.

December 31, 2012 - New Year's Eve Events

Open & closed on New Year's Day

Banks: Closed.
City Hall & client centres: Customer service available 24 hours -- 580-2400.
Libraries: Closed.
Mail: No delivery Jan. 1.
Beer & liquor stores: Closed Jan. 1.
Malls: Closed on Jan. 1
Buses: On New Year’s Eve, service is free after 8pm. (During the day OC Transpo operates on a reduced weekday schedule.)
There's also a Polar Bear Dip planned at Britannia Beach on January 1.
Full list of what's open & closed in Ottawa on January 1, 2013...