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While there have been plenty of night-time New Year's Eve events for adults presented in Chattanooga over the years, there have not been many that are family oriented.
Until now.
The DoubleTree hotel, which has hosted an adult party for four years, has added an outdoor event targeted to families. Called ChattaNew Year, it is free and open to everyone.
"This will be a great community event," says Robin Derryberry with Derryberry Public Relations.
The last big, community- wide New Year's Eve event was in 1999, which Chattanooga Downtown Partnership produced for three years starting in 1997.
"It had things scattered all over town and included things to do for the kids. We had everything from belly dancing to music to puppet shows and comedy," says Carla Pritchard, owner of Chattanooga Presents, and executive director of the Downtown Partnership at the time.
Each year, the parties culminated at Miller Plaza with a concert and a laser show.
ChattaNew Year at the DoubleTree is the first community-wide New Year's Eve event in 15 years, and it is designed to celebrate Chattanooga, according to Derryberry.
"This will be a party for the whole family with games for the kids in the Kidz Zone, food trucks and mascots from some of Chattanooga's best known businesses. Maggie the giant Mayfield cow will be there. The Coca-Cola polar bear and Louie the Lookout will be there."
IF YOU GO
* What: ChattaNew Year. * When: 8-midnight Wednesday. * Where: Doubletree Hotel, 407 Chestnut St. * Admission: Party inside is $32.78; outside event is free. * Phone: 756-5150.
There will actually be two parties going on at the Doubletree. Inside will be an adult party featuring Deep Fried Five, a 10-piece funk/dance band. Nashville-based band, they'll remind people of '60s and '70s rock-funk-soul acts like Mother's Finest. Only a few tickets remained last week.
"We knew Chattanooga would embrace the idea of a community-wide New Year's Eve party, but we had no idea ChattaNew Year would take off so quickly," says Peter Guarneiri, area director of sales and marketing for Doubletree owners Vision Hospitality Group Inc.
Outside the hotel, at the free public party, WSKZ-FM KZ-106 will provide music for the free party. Logos from some of the city's iconic companies and people --MoonPie, the late Luther Masingill who died this year -- will be displayed on the hotel's building. At midnight, a lighted 12-foot tall Coke bottle will drop from the top of the hotel.
Mayor Andy Berke will be there and Jason Greer, the firefighter who did his first triathlon race earlier this year to raise money for cancer research in honor of son Tristin, who has stage 4 neuroblastoma, will lead the countdown to midnight.
Derryberry says that, while there will be things to do all evening at the Doubletree, she hopes people will check out other events taking place downtown, such as viewing the holiday-themed windows in some downtown businesses.
Ice on the Landing, the temporary ice skating rink at the 21st Century Waterfront, will have a special New Year's Eve party on its own, according to Pritchard. It will be open from 11 p.m. until 1 a.m. and revelers will receive special 2015 glow glasses, cupcakes and sparkling cider, she says. Cost is $20.
"We hope people will go to Ice on the Landing and then come over," Derryberry says.
Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354.