What: First Night 2009
When: Wednesday, Dec. 31, 6 p.m.
Where: Village Square & Telus Conference Centre
Admission: In advance, $15 adults, $8 12 & under. Dec. 31, $20 adults, $10 12 & under.
It’s without a doubt one of the biggest nights of the year in just about any town — everyone is decked out in their finest apparel, anxious to count down to new beginnings. And New Year’s in Whistler certainly is no small event.
The resort attracts scores of visitors during the holiday season, with many people opting to spend their time (and money) in Whistler ringing in the New Year.
Sue Eckersley is president of Watermark Communications Inc., the company in charge of organizing and executing the annual party for a few thousand people.
The Resort Municipality of Whistler actually began organizing the First Night celebrations about 14 years ago, as an alcohol-free, family-friendly alternative to the over-the-top, alcohol-fuelled celebrations that typically come along with the holiday.
“It was a combination of creating a great event for our guests to participate in New Year’s Eve without alcohol, but also of creating an event in the village so that we didn’t have to be concerned with as much rowdiness,” Eckersley explained.
The evening features a wide range of musical acts, entertainers, a MuchMusic Dance Party and lots of family-friendly activities to get revelers of every age in the spirit of things.
Watermark took over the organization of the event five years ago, coordinating and executing the evening.
“It’s a big effort amongst a lot of different people at the municipality, and we have a lot of entertainers that return each year, so it’s a really fun event,” she said.
The First Night activities and entertainment aren’t free — though they’re certainly more affordable than a lot of the events at bars and clubs that evening — with tickets selling for $15 for adults, $8 for children under the age of 12, and kids two and under getting in for free. This year, if you don’t get tickets ahead of time, you can still purchase them the day of, though prices go up to $20 for adults and $10 for kids.
“They just started on sale and it’s about the same every year. People wait until the last few days before they start buying tickets to decide what the weather’s going to be,” Eckersley said.
But the event comes close to selling out every year, with about 7,000 to 8,000 people coming out to join the party. And Eckersley is optimistic that current economic concerns won’t have a huge impact on attendance, though she is a bit leery of the cold weather.
“The thing that will affect us the most is the temperature of the evening, and that affects the older crowd that wants to go to the square,” she said.
Three years ago, they moved lot of things indoors because of weather conditions.
This year, they have a wide range of activities planned for the main stage, which is set up in Village Square, the indoor stage at the Telus Conference Centre, and Skiers Plaza.
“We’re really excited about our main stage lineup,” Eckersley said. “We have Whistler’s best DJ and Whistler’s best band playing for us.”
This year, Watermark has managed to land a major coup for their entertainment roster, securing the Canadian alternative rock group, Spirit of the West, as the headlining act on their main stage, starting at 8:30 p.m.
“We’ve never actually had a big act like that before on the First Night stage, so we were really excited about having them join us this year, and they’re really stoked about it, as well.”
The infamous local Whole Lotta Led crew steps up to the main stage beforehand, playing a stellar set of Led Zeppelin covers from 7:15 p.m. until Spirit of the West starts.
Starting a bit earlier in the evening, at 6:30 p.m., family entertainer Matt Levy combines classic juggling acts with tight rope walking. Throw in fire poi and devil stick, and kids and adults alike are sure to be wowed. And just before Levy takes the stage, a young local musician, Scott Verbeek, is set to perform.
“He’s just a young phenom on the guitar, and he’s from Squamish. So we’re really proud of that lineup because the majority of the people on the main stage are local, and if they’re not local, at least they’re B.C,” Eckersley said. “…We decided this year, let’s focus on showing the world some of our best talents.”
Finally, playing a set from 10:30 p.m. until the ball drops at midnight, Mat the Alien provides the musical backdrop while fireworks explode in the night sky, and beach balls are bounced around by the audience in Village Square.
“Mat is sort of the guy that we often end with,” she pointed out. “He’s a DJ who is from here, he can play to everyone, everyone walks away at the end of the night feeling like, ‘wow, that DJ was playing my style of music,’ whether you’re a 50-year-old or whether you’re a 20-year-old.”
First Night organizers even have something planned for the high school crowd. For the second year in a row, they’ll be hosting a MuchMusic Dance Party in the Telus Conference Centre ballroom, welcoming kids from the age of 13 to 19 to come in and countdown to the New Year.
“So no parent and no young ones — it’s supposed to be cool for the teens and sort of a little bit of a refuge for them, so you need ID going in, making sure you’re in that age group,” she said.
If this cold snap continues, a lot of people may be tempted to spend the majority of the night in the Telus Conference Centre’s Grand Foyer, which houses most of the activities for tots and parents alike.
There’s a “lids station” where people can create their very own party hat and noisemakers, snowflakes and other crafts, the Whistler wishing chair, which is made from retired skis and snowboards, and a global map for all visitors and locals to mark their hometown on.
“The indoor stage is very family-focused,” Eckersley explained. “It’s all about the two-year-old to the 12-year-old and their families.”
Performers Lily K, Marc Suess, Scott Verbeek, Matt Levy, the Fire Moths, One-Eyed Troll, mascots and others can be found on the indoor stage from 6 p.m. until 9:30 p.m., so prepare to be entertained.
At all First Night activities, there’s a very strict zero-tolerance alcohol policy, with security checks at all entry points, and an increased police presence.
“You’ll see plenty of RCMP around our areas, ensuring that families can expect to have an alcohol-free event,” Eckersley said.
If you’re planning a less-than sober evening out, Whistler’s many bars and clubs have plenty of parties and dinners to keep people entertained until the wee hours of the morning on Jan. 1. Eckersley cautions that people attending events in the village should do their best to transport alcohol to the event beforehand, as it may be confiscated on New Year’s Eve, if they are caught walking through town with it.
Check out the listings on page 97 for more detailed information on what’s going on at Whistler clubs and bars.
Getting around can also be tough on New Year’s Eve, and the RCMP will be conducting extensive road checks throughout the evening, so people should think twice about getting behind the wheel if they’ve been drinking. Instead, grab a cab, or hop on Whistler Transit, which will be running for free from 6 p.m on Dec. 31 until 3 a.m. on New Year’s Day, though the service will be suspended between 11 p.m. and midnight.
