New Year's Eve in Calgary: Fireworks, food trucks and family fun

A stock photo of fireworks. (pexels.com/@mi1kel)

The City of Calgary is hosting a New Year's Eve celebration featuring fireworks, a skating/dance party and food trucks.

The family-friendly festivities start at 8 p.m. on Dec. 31 at Prince's Island Park and Calgary Parking Authority Lot 59, located across the Bow River Pathway from Prince's Island at 200-286 Memorial Dr. N.W.

Food trucks will be up and running and there will be fire pits to keep you warm and activities to keep everyone entertained – like inflatable curling.

The event will see Memorial Drive closed to traffic eastbound and westbound from 10 Street N.W. to Fourth Street N.E. from 7 p.m. on Dec. 31 to 2 a.m. on Jan. 1.

There will, however, be event parking on the south side of Memorial Drive (eastbound) from 10 Street to 4A Street N.W. from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Fireworks

The night will conclude with a fireworks display at midnight, synchronized to music from Canadian artists airing on the radio on CJSW 90.9 FM.

Watch for free in person at Prince's Island Park or Lot 59.

If you can't make it to the event, you can watch the fireworks from home witha livestream starting at 11:55 p.m., starting with a blessing from Indigenous Elder Clarence Wolfleg, followed by a countdown to midnight with Mayor Jyoti Gondek.

"I'm hoping many Calgarians will come together for an unforgettable New Year's celebration under the sparkling skies at Prince's Island Park," Gondek said in a news release.

"This is a magical time to unite, celebrate our shared moments from the past year and ignite our hopes for a future filled with promise."

No stopping on Crescent Road

Don't bother trying to park on Crescent Road to watch the fireworks display.

The city says for pedestrian and traffic safety, Crescent Road will have a no stopping zone in place from 7A Street to Centre A Street from 7 p.m. on Dec. 31 to 2 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2025.

Calgary Parking will be on-site ticketing and towing illegally parked vehicles on Crescent Road and throughout the community.

Getting home

To help people get home safely on New Year's Eve, Calgary Transit will have free service.

The CTrain will run until 4 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2025.

Bus routes 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 22, 301, 302, and Max Orange, Max Yellow, Max Teal and Max Purple will run until 3 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2025.