Naperville planning two countdowns to New Year
Naperville is taking a very literal approach to ringing in the new year Thursday night with two events that include countdowns at the Millennium Carillon.
The family friendly Rockin' and Ringin' in New Year's Eve runs from 4 to 8 p.m. and features music, crafts, special guests and a countdown.
"Young families are always looking for sort of a fun, not super expensive way to spend their New Year's Eve and this enables families to come down and get a good meal first, take the trolley to a free Radio Disney show, (then) to the carillon," said Katie Wood, executive director of the Downtown Naperville Alliance.
The alliance is sponsoring the event along with Naperville Park District and the Millennium Carillon Foundation. The celebration marks the official end to the Hometown Holidays festivities that started the day after Thanksgiving.
The night begins with dinner specials from 4 to 6 p.m. at downtown restaurants such as Heaven on Seven, Flat Top Grill, Grumpy Bulldog, Quigley's and Potter's Place.
Guests can then take a free trolley ride from 5:45 to 7:45 p.m. from Main Street and Jefferson Avenue in downtown Naperville to Naperville Central High School, 400 W. Aurora Ave.
In Central's cafeteria, they'll find the Radio Disney Road Crew along with games, crafts and prizes. Among the prizes is a future meet-and-greet with actress Jennifer Stone from the Disney Channel's "Wizards of Waverly Place." The activities at Central are free.
To welcome 2010 before bedtime, partygoers can head across the street to the Millennium Carillon in Moser Tower for an 8 p.m. countdown with Mayor George Pradel and NCTV's Dolly McCarthy. The sled hill also will be open.
Wood suggests parking at the municipal center, 400 S. Eagle St., to be in proximity to all the evening's events. Trolley rides back to downtown will be available from 8 to 8:45 p.m.
For night owls, the traditional New Year's Eve festivities at the Millennium Carillon including music, entertainment and refreshments begin at 11 p.m. leading up to a countdown at midnight.