Not sure how to ring in the new year Toronto? Let 3 pros guide you - Action News
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Not sure how to ring in the new year Toronto? Let 3 pros guide you

CBC Toronto asked some party pros to share their choices for the best place to spend Saturday night.

Nightclubs, live performances, fireworks or 'I might just hang out with my cats'

Don't have any New Year's Eve plans? There's always the annual fireworks display at Nathan Phillips Square. They'll also have musical performances by several artists, including Walk Off The Earth. (CBC)

Whether you're drowning in options for where to ring in 2017 onSaturday night, or you've barely begun to sift through the invitations popping up onyour Facebook page, fear not.

CBC Toronto has rounded upthree party proswho plan, playat and producetheir own New Year's Eve bashesto give us their suggestions.

Tim McCready

Tim McCready grabs the microphone at the Gladstone Hotel during Good Enough LIVE Karaoke. He plays keyboard and guitar for the band, which plays rock and roll while participants belt out the tunes. (Andy Sheel)

Here's the bad news: For the first time in 10 years, Tim McCready, the man behind the New Year's Eve house partiesat 159 Manning Ave., won't be throwing his annual bash. Last year it attracted over 600 guests.

He says one of his neighbours complained to the city, so he's working with them to ensure he can startagain in 2017.

"It's a bummer," he said. "At the same time, I need the house to live in so I can't risk getting evicted."

McCreadyhas two recommendations for a similarvibe. The key to his parties, he said, is the greatDJs and bands he had playing on different floors of his home.

"If you want to go for that basement, garage rock kind of vibe that I usually do, then I would go to Baby G."

Baby Gis a relatively new, small nightclub at 1608DundasSt.West, where they'll host several bands, includingMax Pain and HisGroovies,Meanwoodand The New Enchanters. Tickets start at $12.

"For the dance side, for the hip-hop side, I'd say go toParts and Labour," McCreadysaid. Healso works as a sound technician there.

That party promises two floors of hip hop, R&B,dance halland reggae music, starting at 10 p.m. at 1566 Queen St.West. Tickets are $10.

If he can't make either of those, McCready has abackup plan.

"I might just hang out with my cats for a bit or go to a friend's house."

Tempting.

UPDATE: Despite sayinghe would not throw his annual New Year's Eve house party this year, McCreadydidhave one.

Denise Benson

Denise Benson at Cherry Bomb, a monthly party for queer women and friends that she co-produces. (Nancy Kim)

Denise Bensonhas been DJing and throwing parties in Torontosince the late 1980s. She's also a music journalist and has released a book chronicling Toronto's nightclub past, Then & Now: Toronto Nightlife History.

She's hooked on electronic, underground dance events, so she'll be partying and DJing at an event called Shelter 325: NYE in a Bunker at 325 Front St.West, nearthe Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

The party is fornight owls, running from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. with four rooms full of different sounds and dozens of artists.

"It's a mix of DJs, some live performances and even some spoken word," she said. It will also includea reading fromGeorge Elliott Clarke, Canada's parliamentary poet laureate.

Tickets are about $50, with a percentage of the proceeds going to Toronto food banks.

"They get a very mixed, interesting crowd," she said. "Very, very friendly, familiar vibe."

Her second choice would bePlush, a more relaxedparty featuring several DJs at a venue called Loft404.

"It's like a big loft with two rooms, hardwood floors and so on," she said."That would be a more intimate, friendly event with great music."

The party gets startedat 9:45 p.m. at 263 Adelaide St.West for about $50.

Massimo Grisafi

Massimo Grisafi, left, also manages 4Korners, the official DJ for the Toronto Raptors, and Joe Ghost, a Toronto house/electronic artist. (Massimo Grisafi)

Massimo Grisafi is the founder of Insert Marketing, a startup focused on business promotion, a partner at Same Nightclub and the CEO of Lyme Productions, an event promotion company.

Obviously, he has to pitch his own event. Lyme Productions is promoting the eighthannual party at Liberty Grand, a ballroom built in 1926 near Exhibition Place.Tory Lanez, a Toronto hip-hop artist, will host the event, where they'll have three rooms split into hip hop,trance and Top 40 music. Admission is about $70.

"I've always stayed away from doing nightclubs for New Year's because what makes a nightclub different on New Year's Eve than any other day of the week?" Grisafisaid. "I always try to do a different experience."

Grasafialso has his eye on a partycalledReboot 2.0being held in a warehouse that won't be identified until the day of the party. This event will feature three large rooms, each with a unique feel and sound.

Ticketsare almost sold out, running at about $70 for the last tier available.

Burlington, Ont., band Walk Off The Earth has gained a huge fan base after releasing unique covers of popular songs. (Walk Off The Earth)

If none of these suggestions sounds appealing, you can always go with aclassic: New Year's Eve in Nathan Phillips Square.

While it may not be the warmest option, it is free. The city promises a night full of musical entertainment, including Walk Off The Earth as the night's headliner, a DJ skating party and fireworks at midnight. The festivities begin at 8 p.m.