Ottawa to Ring in the New Year Scottish Style

The people of Ottawa will have another chance to get their Celt on this New Year’s Eve.

After the success of last year’s first-ever Scottish Hogmanay at Ottawa City Hall, the Scottish Society of Ottawa has announced it will host another free downtown party on December 31, presented by TD.

This year’s attractions at TD Hogmanay ’13 include Scottish folk-rock legends Wolfstone, local heroes Ecosse and Poor Angus, an acclaimed Celtic band from Hamilton.

The evening starts at 6pm inside City Hall, with an indoor ceilidh, with Scottish dancing and music, the Glengarry Pipe Band, Scotch tasting, skating on the Rink of Dreams and fireworks at midnight. For the little ones, there will be face-painting – Braveheart blue was a favorite in 2012 – and coloring on the Scottish Wall of Fame. Parking at City Hall is free.

There will be a time out at 7pm – midnight in Scotland – to count down to the midnight bells, so families can celebrate New Year’s with their children.

Kevin MacLeod, Chair of the Scottish Society, said: “This is a unique opportunity for Canadians of all backgrounds to come together in a moment of fun and celebration – in typical Canadian and Scottish style. There is simply no better way to mark the arrival of the New Year as we approach the 199th birthday on January 10th of our first Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald – a great Scot and an even greater Canadian. There will be something for everyone. Come and join the fun and excitement.”

Mayor Jim Watson welcomed the news that Hogmanay is once again coming to City Hall. “We’re making City Hall more of a people place and hosting the very successful Hogmanay event is a perfect way to do that. I know families will enjoy skating on the Rink of Dreams, taking in some excellent entertainment and ringing in 2014 with Ottawa’s Scottish community,” Watson said.

The evening is presented by TD, while other sponsors include the Scottish Government, Bell, Enbridge, TransCanada, MacEwen Petroleum, Labatt, Tartan Homes and the Scottish and Irish Store.

Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs with the Scottish Government, said: “Scotland and Canada have strong links reaching back through history and these bonds continue to grow and thrive today. This Hogmanay event will help celebrate our shared history and recognize Scotland’s achievements and ambitions in the 21st century. I hope those attending the Ottawa Scottish Society’s Hogmanay event will make it their New Year’s resolution to come to Scotland in 2014. This year’s Hogmanay celebration marks the start of Scotland’s second Year of Homecoming, a year-long co-ordinated program of events designed to welcome the world and extend the benefits and opportunities offered by the Commonwealth Games and the Ryder Cup.”

The Scottish Society of Ottawa was founded in 2012 to rekindle the links between Scotland and the National Capital Region. Hogmanay is the first of a number of planned Scottish-themed cultural and sporting events in 2014.

For more information: call John Ivison at 613.286.3326

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