Edmonton, Alberta | It has the honour of being both the first and last major Edmonton festival of the year, but that's not what makes New Year's Eve Downtown special. To know fully the charms of this celebration is to be one of the 25,000 people in Edmonton's downtown core moments before the clock strikes twelve. Having enjoyed an evening of live entertainment, horse and wagon rides, skating outside City Hall, and tasty hot chocolate in the fresh winter air, people of all ages join in the countdown… and then they do something you might believe only happens in movies.

"Citizens who might be total strangers to each other hug and kiss or shake hands with the person next to them," says Giuseppe Albi, general manager of Events Edmonton, the organizers of New Year's Eve Downtown. It's a positively magical moment to witness, he says. "People break down their barriers. For that moment, they're all people who live in the Edmonton, Alberta. That's what they have in common."

New Year’s Eve Downtown is a family-friendly, non-alcoholic event that is far greater than the sum of its parts. Said simply, something beautiful happens to the human spirit when people gather to ring in a new year filled with hope.

Of course, the fireworks display helps to increase the excitement. This year, Albi says, there will be a "special surprise" in the fireworks presentation. He's not giving out any details, though, short of the fact that this year marks the 100th birthday of the University of Alberta. "One thing we like to do with this event is mark civic occasions that are a big deal," he says. "It's a great way to ring in the New Year in Canada’s Festival City."

Admission to this Edmonton event is free. As an additional treat for those who attend, public transit systems will operate for free from 6 p.m. to 3 a.m. and parking is just $1.00 after 6 p.m. at City Hall and neighbouring parkades (the Stanley A. Milner Library, Canada Place and City Centre West).

For more information about New Year’s Eve Downtown, go to .

Jenifer Christenson