ST. LOUIS — Many like to ring in the new year with a glass of champagne at midnight. But those with children and families are often on the lookout for sober and safe ways to celebrate.
City Museum hosted its Family Friendly New Year's Eve party from 5-9 p.m. Saturday for that very reason. Families played Jenga and cornhole, sang karaoke, watched the Circus Harmony stilt walkers and popped balloons from a balloon drop.
The event ended with a non-alcoholic toast. The event was free with general admission or a City Museum membership.
“It is our first family-friendly New Year's Eve party," Ashley Turigliatto said.
Ashley Turigliatto with City Museum brought this new way of celebrating New Year’s to downtown St. Louis.
“There’s really something for everybody, so we thought it was the perfect opportunity to just give people that space to have a good time as a family," she said.
This celebration was a safe and sober space for all families to celebrate.
“We wanted these guys to have a great New Years,” Brian Leuken said.
Parents like Leuken said this space was the perfect way for his kids to use up some energy. His son Scottie definitely felt the same after going down the slides.
“I love it. I went on it a lot of times," Scottie said.
Turigliatto said the 5-9 p.m. time window of the party was intentional.
“Our balloon drop is at 8:30. So you are out the door by 9, you are home hopefully by 9:30 or 10 and everyone is safe inside," she said.
It’s also why families like the Seale’s were drawn to the event.
“It’s earlier than midnight. And I get tired, they get tired. And it’s different," Kim Seale said.
So the kids will play until bedtime, and the countdown to 2023 will begin, but these memories of celebrating 2022 are something families won’t run out of.
“We really felt like coming out of the pandemic there hasn’t been a lot, like it really just hasn’t reached for families," Turigliatto said.