Mayumi Izumi (she/her) // Contributor
Bells White (they/them) // Illustrator
The last day of 2023 is nearly upon us. Do you know how you will be celebrating New Year’s Eve yet? December 31 is filled with lots of parties, festivities and dancing. There are usually fireworks at Canada Place, but they are cancelled this year.
Here is a list of things to do on NYE on a CapU student budget:
North Vancouver:
There is a free New Year’s Eve skating event from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Shipyards Skate Plaza. It is conveniently located right under our CapU Lonsdale campus.
Downtown Vancouver:
Robson Square Ice Rink is also free to skate. Skate rentals are only $5.00, and helmets are free of charge with the skate rental. You also have the option to bring your own skates. NYE hours are from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Granville Island:
The Improv Centre (1502 Duranleau Street, Vancouver) has a Special Rockin’ NYE event from 9:30 p.m. to 11:15 p.m. Tickets are $25.50 to $32.50, and can be purchased online.
Burnaby
The Admiral Pub and Grill is hosting a New Year’s Eve Eve celebration, starting at 8:30 pm on December 30, with classic rock and a less expensive $6 cover (opposed to $95 on NYE). They are located at 4125 Hastings Street. No tickets are required, but you can reserve a table early at reservations@admiralburnaby.com.
Surrey
Timeless NYE at S+L Kitchen and Bar (16051 24 Avenue) will have live music by Nettie from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. and after Dark DJ from 10:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Tickets cost $20 to $35.
The Henry Public House (5708 176 Street) will have a complimentary midnight toast at Street. Their Timeless NYE will be from 9:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. and costs between $16.93 to $22.23.
The alternative is to stay in on New Year’s Eve and stay up until midnight watching (formerly) Dick Clark’s NYE Party on TV, dance and open up the bubbly. You could call your friends and see how they feel about spending New Year’s at your place. Depending on how many people are invited, you could also make it a games night and have each person bring a board game. Monopoly and Trivial Pursuit are always popular. I would recommend two games: Uno, which is a really fun and competitive card game, and Blank Slate, which I played for the first time on CSU’s Glamping trip at the beginning of October.
Whether you decide to go to a New Year’s Eve party or stay in to celebrate with friends and family, close 2023 with a bang. Think about all that you accomplished throughout the year, what you are proud of, or what you would like to change. If there are some things to improve about yourself, make some resolutions that you can stick with and accomplish. And give yourself a pat on the back. You are pursuing your dreams and there are a lot of things to look forward to in 2024.