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From family fun in Victoria Park, complete with skating and fireworks, to history and a monster film double bill, here are three picks to get you and the kids out of the house to celebrate as the calendar flips to 2025.
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NEW YEAR’S EVE IN THE PARK
London’s showpiece downtown space, Victoria Park, is the gathering place to be to ring in the new year, with five hours of entertainment in two segments, one for families and another more for adults, running from 7 p.m. Dec. 31 to just after midnight. The party begins with a family concert from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. featuring performances by local artists Nick Gordon and Paul Stock. Watch for some of your favourite Star Wars characters floating around. You can also get in some skating at the outdoor rink until 9 p.m. or take a leisurely stroll through the park to soak up the splendour of its holiday lights before the season ends. A family-friendly fireworks show is scheduled at 9 p.m., with another for the late-night crowd at midnight as 2025 dawns.
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Starting at 9 p.m., as the second segment begins, catch live performances by top local talent – Mark Swan’s Good Hang with Amanda Movio, Imperative Hip Hop and the Forest City London Music Awards All-Star Band. Food trucks will be in the area to satisfy late-night hunger pangs, and you can even bus home at no cost becauses London Transit is offering free rides New Year’s Eve from 8 p.m. to the end of its service that night.
MONSTER MOVIE DOUBLE BILL
Too cold for you outdoors? More into cocooning in front of the big screen to celebrate 2025’s arrival? The Hyland Cinema, at 240 Wharncliffe Rd. S., has a monster New Year’s Eve treat for movie buffs with a taste for Godzilla – two classic films featuring the overgrown lizard, complete with a special button for the double bill and – in a bow to Godzilla’s Japanese origins – ramen noodles and chopsticks. Tickets cost $27.50 and include admission to both films Dec. 31, Mothra vs. Godzilla at 8:25 p.m. and Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla at 10:25 p.m.
ELDON HOUSE NEW YEAR’S LEVEE
OK, OK, so the kids might not be thrilled by the idea, but it’s a chance to get the family outside, work off some holiday calories and soak up a bit of history at the same time at Eldon House, a 19th-century home that’s one of the city’s oldest and doubles as a museum to that era. Eldon House is holding a traditional New Year’s levee – have the kids google what that is – from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Jan. 1, with visitors able to take a self-guided tour and check out the last of the historic site’s Victorian greenery and festive decorations. Hot apple cider and cookies will be served at the free event at 481 Ridout St. N. The site overlooks Harris Park, a short walk away for the adventuresome who might also want to shoehorn in a hike along the riverside trail system.
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