Salt Lake City is saying goodbye to EVE, its multiday winter festival that rings in the new year.
Instead it will present Last Hurrah, a free one-night-only New Year’s Eve event.
While EVE was held in and around The Salt Palace Convention Center, Last Hurrah will be at The Gateway and will feature live music on outdoor stages, indoor games and a 21-and-over speakeasy lounge from 8 p.m. to midnight.
“Downtown is evolving, and what we create is evolving with it,” Downtown Alliance executive director Jason Mathis said in a news release Friday. “The Gateway will be a great place to ring in the New Year as a community.”
The giant MirrorBall, the signature showpiece at EVE since 2014, also is being retired, said Nick Como, a spokesman for the alliance.
“The ball will not be part of Last Hurrah,” he said. “Like Eve, it served its purpose and ran its course.”
Derek Dyer, the Utah artist who created the massive installation using 1,200 mirrors — each one a 12-inch square — may have other uses for it, Como said.
Salt Lake City created its EVE celebration 10 years ago to draw Utah residents to downtown. But the number of events and opportunities in the urban center has grown in past years.
“Downtown is a hub of activity, day in and day out,” Mathis said. “This is a natural progression and shows our city has grown up and will continue to do so in creative ways — that’s why Last Hurrah will be such an exciting part of that evolution. This represents the next phase of downtown.”
The Main Stage will be headlined by singer/songwriter Joshua James, with opening acts that include DJ Flash & Flare, Afro-Brazilian drum and fire troupe Samba Fogo, and psychedelic rockers Crook & The Bluff.
Draft beer, wine and hot chocolate will be served throughout the event.
The Speakeasy Lounge, open to those 21 and older, will offer full-strength craft beer, wine, Champagne and specialty cocktails.
Guests of all ages have an opportunity to warm up in the indoor Game Room, where they can face off on giant versions of Jenga, checkers and cornhole, and experience an array of interactive art installations.
