Whether you rang in the new year at home, at a pub, or in the middle of Queen Street, NOTLers made sure that 2023 came in with a bang.

Those in town for the holiday had plenty of options for where they could count down the last moments of 2022, with parties at the Sandtrap, Olde Angel Inn, Riverbend Inn & Vineyard, Spirit in Niagara Distillery and the Irish Harp to name a few. 

The highlight for many was the annual countdown outside at the clock tower cenotaph, which drew a few hundred people from nearby bars and homes. 

The Izaguirre family spent their New Year’s Eve with “a lot of giant Jenga, sauces and dip and a lot of good talk,” before meeting at the cenotaph, said Laurie Izaguirre. 

“Every year we come back and do the same thing, rain, shine, COVID. We’re here every year.”

Izaguirre, who has lived in NOTL for most of her life, boasted a New Year’s resolution to “travel the world.”

Amid lively music at the Irish Harp, owner Jovie Joki shared a similar sentiment. 

“Personally, I’d like to have some more time,” she said.

The pub toasted the Irish new year at 7 p.m. and reopened at 9 p.m. for specialty cocktails and live music from Jack van Ginger. 

Similarly, the Sandtrap sold nearly 100 tickets to guests who danced the night away to classic hits and even “did the Time Warp again.”

After the evening’s big festivities at the cenotaph, where bubbly was popped and sparklers were lit, many made their way to the Angel Inn to close off the night. 

The pub, which hosted a British New Year’s toast at 7 p.m. stayed open an extra hour to accommodate NOTLers and visitors alike who wanted to celebrate among friends, said bar manager Adam Dodridge.  

“A lot of people can come through these doors, even if it’s just to experience a drink.”