New year’s parties return to city schedule

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 30/12/2022 (1298 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Just short of three years ago — what may feel like a lifetime ago for some — Manitobans entered the roaring ’20s of the 21st century. As the countdown struck midnight, a global pandemic was likely the last thing on their minds.

For many venues, New Year’s Eve 2022 feels like a second chance — an opportunity to ring in the new year with warmth and connection.

“This is our first New Year’s Eve in the ‘20s,” said John Scoles, self-proclaimed janitor and president of the Times Change(d) High and Lonesome Club. “At the beginning of 2023, it’s a little bit of a slow start.”

Last year at this time, Scoles and his team were scrambling to figure out whether they’d be moving forward with a show they ultimately had to cancel due to public health COVID-19 pandemic mandates. This year, the show will run with the same duo of artists as initially planned in 2021: JD Edwards Band and Dap Queens.

“We have to approach it relatively fearlessly,” Scoles said. “We kept our plan pretty simple: we just said we believe we’re going to do this. Let’s start rehearsals.”

But before Scoles heads to his cosy Main Street venue Saturday, he’ll spend an evening immersed in festivities with his family at The Forks.

There’s a reason why the downtown Winnipeg river-side site is a New Year’s Eve classic, communications and marketing manager Zach Peters said.

“We always call The Forks Winnipeg and Manitoba’s meeting space, which we really believe it has been for 6,000 years,” Peters said.

After two years of virtual programming, its beloved New Year’s Eve festival returns, promising a combination of familiar favourites, such as the countdown on the outdoor CN stage, along with live music and a dance party.

Elsewhere, Bourkevale resident Scott Nystrom is bringing the party home. On Friday, Nystrom spent the afternoon clearing a backyard rink on the Assiniboine River. It’s a neighbourhood tradition for many, he said.

“We try to have that going every year just for fun,” Nystrom said. “If the ice is good enough for skating on we’ll clear it, if it’s not, then we don’t.”

Thankfully, the ice froze just in time for a new year’s bash.

While the Times Change(d) show has sold out, those hoping to ring in the new year to the tune of live music still have several options.

A handful of door tickets will be up for grabs at the Good Will Social Club for the return of the Real Love New Year’s Eve Show. The evening commences with a set from Fontine, followed by the Funky Miracles, Boy Golden, Leith Ross, JayWood, Diaphanie and DJ Hunnicutt.

“We’re getting scene-adjacent pals together to turn their folk, country or indie songs into funk jams,” Adam Soloway, co-founder of Real Love Winnipeg, wrote in an email to the Free Press.

Those who have an appetite for music and food can fill their plate at Nonsuch Brewing Co. and Club 200. On the outskirts of Winnipeg’s Exchange District, Nonsuch will divide the evening into two events: a four-course guided dinner with beer pairings and live jazz, followed by a “New Beer’s Eve” party with craft beers and a live set by DJ Janky Knee.

Owner Allen Morrison said Club 200 is ringing in the New Year with a “night of euphoria.”

Celebrations begin with a prime rib dinner, followed by a drag show and tunes by DJ Danno. The club’s management hopes to cater to different comfort levels with enhanced cleaning policies and masks available at the door.

“(We want to) be as safe as we can and still have a good time,” Morrison said.

For those who’d prefer to kick off 2023 with a good night’s rest, Rumor’s Comedy Club promises to only poke fun at early sleepers before midnight.

“For the people who don’t really like going out and doing the big countdown or just want to be in bed early, we have a 7 o’clock show,” general manager Tyler Schultz said. “Both shows have the headliner Kevin Bozeman from Chicago.”

In a city that almost always sleeps, Winnipeg promises nothing short of a good time this New Year’s Eve with something for all tastes.

fpcity@freepress.mb.ca