EVE 2011: New Year's Eve celebration in downtown SLC
EVE, Salt Lake's New Year's Eve event, will be a gigantic street party downtown on Dec. 29, 30 and 31. Tens of thousands of people are expected to gather for celebrations taking place on West Temple between 100 and 200 South and in the Calvin Rampton Salt Palace Convention Center. Hours are 6-10 p.m. on Dec. 29 and 30 and 6 p.m.-midnight Dec. 31.
EVE will include live, local music, dance parties, ski and snowboard action sports competitions, DJs, fine art performances, film screenings, laser shows, art installations, activities for kids, interactive resolutions, fire dancers and a spectacular midnight fireworks show on Dec. 31.
"We are thrilled to launch EVE 2.0," said Jason Mathis, executive director of the Downtown Alliance, in a press release. "We look forward to three fantastic days of revelry as we kiss 2010 goodbye and say hello to a bright new year."
Signature projects include eBay It Forward, EVE Air, Battle of the Tribute Bands II, BounceTown, a fire and ice sculpture garden, the Bandemonium main stage and Ballroom (think thousands of beach balls, a DJ and lighting installations).
eBay It Forward, a community giving project, will give Utahns an opportunity to contribute treasured items to a massive art installation, raising funds for local charities. Community members are invited to bring items that were meaningful to them in 2010 to the eBay Pavilion Dec. 28-31. With descriptions and stories attached, the items will be collected in a massive interactive community art display. There will be a live auction on New Year's Eve. In January, the items will be listed by eBay's charitable initiative, eBay Giving Works, and sold around the world on ebay.com. All proceeds will go to the Huntsman Cancer Foundation, Best Friends Animal Sanctuary and Volunteers of America Utah Homeless Youth Resource Center. eBay It Forward donations can be dropped off at the Salt Lake Arts Center anytime before Dec. 29.
EVE Air features ski and snowboard action sports competitions with dozens of top athletes conquering a 150-foot-long, three-story high slope covered with 50 tons of snow.
The Battle of the Tribute Bands returns on Dec. 30 with local musicians impersonating rock legends: KISS, Poison and Ozzy. From classic rock to indie rock pop and punk, soul to electro-dance, live, local music at EVE promises to entertain with bands like Feel Good Patrol, Muscle Hawk, Daniel Day Trio, Eyes Lips Eyes, Cub Country and more.
The Ballroom will have 2011 beach balls of all sizes, light shows, music and dancing.
The Never Ending White Elephant Gift Exchange will be full of mystery white elephant gifts for exchange—appropriate for all ages, unwrapped gifts will be wrapped on site.
Community partnerships add to the vibrancy of EVE. Temple Square will have multiple free concerts with world music like Scottish bagpipes, Polynesian traditional song and dance and Japanese drummers, family history crafts, storytelling, a sing-a-long to Broadway show tunes and the spectacular display of holiday lights. Clark Planetarium will offer cosmic shows to EVE revelers. The Salt Lake Arts Center will offer visual and interactive artist-made karaoke. Off Broadway Theatre will perform improve comedy. The Salt Lake Film Society at Broadway Center Cinemas will show Charlie Chaplin film shorts.
EVE passes are $10/day and children under 10 are free. EVE passes can be purchased at participating Fresh Markets, Maverik and at on-site box offices (cash only) at the Salt Palace, Off Broadway Theatre, Broadway Center Cinemas and the Gateway concierge.
Downtown restaurants and hotels are offering EVE packages and special pricing for the three-day event, visit eveslc.com for details. Ride TRAX free Dec. 29-31 with your EVE pass, courtesy of Rio Tinto's Kennecott Utah Copper.
More information is at www.eveslc.com.
