It's the eve of New Years' Eve. Most folks have already made their plans to officially ring in the roaring 20s, but PentictonNow knows there are many who still haven't.
So here's a quick rundown of some of the biggest - and potentially best - events going on in the Penticton area on the night of the 31st.
We're featuring only those festivities that continue past midnight, aren't yet completely sold out, and look like full-blown parties. Sorry teetotalers, early-to-bedders, and refuse-to-dancers. We get where you're coming from, but this is not for you.
The normally docile Shatford Centre will explode New Year's Eve with the sound of hard-edged party rock courtesy of Kelowna-based Steel Toad.
"We're very much a blue collar band," said Steel Toad guitarist Tim Erdos earlier today. "We do a lot of outdoor bashes, festivals, some nightclubs. The name is basically a play on words. What I wear to work every day are steel toed boots. So there you go."
"We play an edgier classic rock. Everything from The Cult to Van Halen, and Bon Jovi. Our goal is to keep that dance floor busy."
Tickets are $25 if purchased in advance or $30 at the door. It's a cash-only bar, and admission includes goodies like appies, snacks, desserts, midnight champagne, and a chance to win a trip to Mexico. Considering all of the above, PentictonNow thinks this might just be one of the best deals in town.
Advance tix are available at Giant's Head Barbershop in Summerland and City Centre Fitness and Fehlings Sheet Metal in Penticton. Doors open at 7 p.m. on New Year's Eve, and the band will play right through to 12:30 a.m.
The celebration begins early and doesn't end 'til the (very) wee hours at downtown Penticton's Brexit Pub.
"We're open all day," said Brexit boss Martyn Lewis, "We'll have our DJ start at 10:00 p.m., and we'll stay open to 4 a.m. We're the latest in town."
Spinning the music Tuesday night will be well-known south Okanagan disc jockey DJ Captain K. "He was an epic DJ in Barcelona before coming here," said Lewis. "He'll play deep house and old school hip hop."
According to Lewis, the kitchen will be open all evening, and the usual assortment of Brexit games will be available throughout. They'll also dole out pairs of "20/20 glasses" and complimentary champagne at midnight.
Best of all, there's no cover. Our advice? Arrive earlier rather than later as admittance after 12:30 a.m. is restricted only to those on Brexit's guest list.
Food, superior live music, and fireworks. That's a pretty good menu and it's exactly what the Penticton Lakeside Resort offers again for 2019/2020.
Headlining the night is Mazacote, a world/Latin band that's "inspired by Afro-Caribbean and tropical party sounds and plays brass-heavy Latin dance beats with a socially conscious message."
But fighting for prominence with the music is the food. Like the band, it's tropical in flavor and filled with hits. Hits like picanha BBQ, shrimp & avocado, and coconut fried bananas.
And at midnight, the resort fires a few hundred fireworks into the air. It won't be quite as spectacular as Canada Day, but it's not far off.
The evening, dubbed "Carnivale," kicks off at 9 p.m. and unfolds at the Lakeside's East Ballroom (the one with all the windows on the second floor). Tickets are $50. You can buy them at the Resort website or in person.
Mile Zero Wine Bar has long been a big supporter of the Penticton live music scene, so it's only fitting it closes out the decade with more of the same.
For New Year's Eve, Mile Zero brings back a three-piece band that sold out the place and created some pretty big buzz this past Halloween. They're called The Black of Hearts, and they look to be carving out a name for themselves in the Okanagan rock scene.
Based in Summerland, The Black of Hearts are arguably most notable for their strict adherence to original music. They'll play two straight hours of it Tuesday night, a mighty impressive figure for three guys who first got together in February.
"Yeah, it's all original. Not even one cover," laughed singer-guitarist Josh Zawaduk earlier today. "That's kind of our modus operandi."
"I've heard we're like a cross between The Black Keys, the Pixies, I've even heard Crazy Horse. We're trying to compete with all the cover bands out there, so we like to touch on all the genres."
DJ Zawa will open the evening with a healthy dose of rock and roll vinyl.
The show starts at 10 p.m., and Mile Zero's Erin Cronie says to expect "some great drink specials." Tickets are just ten bucks each. They're available at eventbrite or at the door.
It’s the first-ever New Year's Eve at The Black Antler, and co-owner Dan Prokosh says it'll be "awesome."
"The party starts at 9 and goes 'til late,'" said Prokosh today. "Sometimes you get the partiers that want to keep it going. The crowd will dictate it. If it's going great, we'll stay open 'til 3 or 4."
Perks will include an "epic" Charcuterie board and snacks just before midnight, a complimentary Veuve Champagne toast as 2019 morphs into 2020, and a disc jockey (DJ Monica) who'll play songs from the 80s and 90s.
But perhaps the best perk of all is the recently upgraded, covered, heated patio. It more than doubles the venue's seating capacity, and it'll be in full swing Tuesday night.
One other thing. There's no admission charge. RSVP at [email protected].
Another first-timer on the Penticton New Year's Eve front, Slackwater Brewing went big for the decade switchover with a multi-course dinner, live music (the Creedence Clearwater-inspired Midnight Special Revival Band), and canapés throughout the evening. One problem. They're virtually sold out.
Whatever tickets might still be available won't be ready until 10 p.m. on the 31st. Yep, two hours before midnight. They'll cost you $35 apiece, if you're lucky enough to find one.
