Upcoming Events at Bo Diddley Plaza
Tue Dec 31, 5:00 PM - Wed Jan 1, 12:00 AM
111 E University Ave, Gainesville, FL 32601
Community: Gainesville
Description
Celebrate New Year’s Eve in Downtown Gainesville with Fireworks, a Concert and a Countdown to Midnight!
Event Details
The City of Gainesville Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department is expanding your downtown New Year’s Eve experience with a grand celebration. All festivities are free and open to the public, so there is something for everyone this year!
The evening begins at Depot Park, located at 874 SE 4th Street. At 5 p.m., bring blankets and chairs and find a spot in the park to enjoy the last sunset of 2019 while a DJ hosts a family-friendly dance party on The Hill. At 6:30 p.m., the fun continues with “Sparks in the Park,” a musically choreographed fireworks show over the main pond start at 6:30 p.m. Join us https://www.facebook.com/events/730839197398321/
Following the fireworks display, guests will be guided by a glowing rainbow of lights through downtown to enjoy dinner, drinks, festivities and all that downtown has to offer.
**The Downtown Countdown**
begins at 9 p.m., and continues until midnight in Bo Diddley Plaza at 111 E. University Ave. It features two bands and a countdown to ring in 2020 with the sounds of noisemakers provided free to the audience. Headlining this experience are Heavy Petty (the local Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers tribute band) with Philip “JazzDad” Thomas and The Forever Miles Band (popular cover songs) opening the concert. Revelers are encouraged to bring chairs or blankets to the plaza for seating.
Heavy Petty grew up in the culture, music, and community of Tom Petty’s hometown, Gainesville, FL, cultivated in the same rock and roll scene where Tom Petty grew up. Known for their energy, showmanship, authenticity, and their own Gainesville grown rock and roll style, they were dubbed the “Hometown Tribute Band” by friends and family of Tom Petty, and have been carrying on Tom Petty’s music legacy and entertaining large audiences for ten years. Heavy Petty plays a diverse catalog of Tom Petty songs, ranging from callouts like “American Girl,” to b-side songs like “Something Good Coming.” They also play songs from any of Tom Petty’s solo or group projects like The Traveling Wilburys and Mudcrutch, with songs like “Handle With Care” and “Scare Easy.”
Phillip Thomas is the lead vocalist for the talented Forever Miles Band based out of Gainesville, Florida. Thom
The evening begins at Depot Park, located at 874 SE 4th Street. At 5 p.m., bring blankets and chairs and find a spot in the park to enjoy the last sunset of 2019 while a DJ hosts a family-friendly dance party on The Hill. At 6:30 p.m., the fun continues with “Sparks in the Park,” a musically choreographed fireworks show over the main pond start at 6:30 p.m. Join us https://www.facebook.com/events/730839197398321/
Following the fireworks display, guests will be guided by a glowing rainbow of lights through downtown to enjoy dinner, drinks, festivities and all that downtown has to offer.
**The Downtown Countdown**
begins at 9 p.m., and continues until midnight in Bo Diddley Plaza at 111 E. University Ave. It features two bands and a countdown to ring in 2020 with the sounds of noisemakers provided free to the audience. Headlining this experience are Heavy Petty (the local Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers tribute band) with Philip “JazzDad” Thomas and The Forever Miles Band (popular cover songs) opening the concert. Revelers are encouraged to bring chairs or blankets to the plaza for seating.
Heavy Petty grew up in the culture, music, and community of Tom Petty’s hometown, Gainesville, FL, cultivated in the same rock and roll scene where Tom Petty grew up. Known for their energy, showmanship, authenticity, and their own Gainesville grown rock and roll style, they were dubbed the “Hometown Tribute Band” by friends and family of Tom Petty, and have been carrying on Tom Petty’s music legacy and entertaining large audiences for ten years. Heavy Petty plays a diverse catalog of Tom Petty songs, ranging from callouts like “American Girl,” to b-side songs like “Something Good Coming.” They also play songs from any of Tom Petty’s solo or group projects like The Traveling Wilburys and Mudcrutch, with songs like “Handle With Care” and “Scare Easy.”
Phillip Thomas is the lead vocalist for the talented Forever Miles Band based out of Gainesville, Florida. Thom
