A New Year’s Eve sparkler: Cade Museum will welcome 2022 with Spark Wonder event
By the end of 2021, holiday hosts will have prepared their homes, welcomed in family and friends for days of celebrations and cleaned up the aftermath several times over. Family feasts will have been labored over, and leftovers filled the fridge for what feel like weeks. Hosting is a labor of love, all done in good spirits, where irreplicable memories are made — and no one would have it any other way.
Yet, by the time New Year’s Eve rolls around, these selfless hosts may find themselves in need of a bit of a break. It is time to enjoy a holiday without the stress and the mess, and have an absolute blast while doing it, too.
Not just for these fatigued entertainers, but for each member of the family and the community at large as well, the Cade Museum has got everything covered for New Year’s Eve.
Cade’s Spark Wonder event Friday, Dec. 31 takes celebrations beyond the typical fireworks and countdown to the new year. Attendees can take in panoramic views of Depot Park’s fireworks and holiday light displays from the cozy indoor Petty Family Gallery. The gallery has floor-to-ceiling windows that ensure everyone, tall or small, can enjoy the twinkling lights. Make it dinner and a show with a $10 meal ticket for a barbeque dinner, plus a cash bar serving adult beverages.
Have little ones who are keen to get all their energy out early and tucker out before the midnight countdown? No problem.
The whole family can dance to the groove of 2022 with a glow dance party in the Gator Tank, complete with glow sticks and black lights. Before breaking a sweat on the dance floor, pose in the photo booth with costumes and props, or write down resolutions on the wall in the rotunda. Kid-friendly fun include arts and crafts like making oozy slime — but no need to worry, parents, it will not stain the brand-new clothes Santa just brought them.
Enjoy the countdown to 2022 early without sacrificing any of the excitement. A New Year’s celebration from another time zone will play on the big screen, meaning families can experience the midnight feel without it actually being midnight. Talk about a win-win.
Spark Wonder is from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Cade Museum, located at 811 S. Main St. In Gainesville. Tickets range from $15 to $9 and are free for children ages 4 and under. Admission funds help support Cade’s mission and outreach. For information, visit cademuseum.org.
By Jewell Tomazin