Fort Myers 'Downtown Countdown' to 2009

COURTESY PHOTO Last year in downtown Fort Myes on New Year's Eve. As tradition has it, a ball will drop at the stroke of midnight in the River District on New Year's Eve. Balloons will fall from any number of places over the streets. There will be unprecedented kissing.

"We haven't changed the time," said Natalie Dunham, marketing and promotions manager for Fort Myers Redevelopment Agency.

And starting at 8 p.m. on Dec. 31, the annual New Year's Eve street party will put 2008 to bed with music and merrymaking galore. The Downtown Countdown will encompass most of the 30,000-squarefoot entertainment district in the heart of downtown, filled with shops, bars and restaurants.

A lineup of local bands will play on two stages, one at the corner of Jackson Street and First Street; the other on Bay Street and Hendry Street. At the Jackson and First Street stage, Cadence Wednesday (contemporary hits and pop rock) will open at 8 p.m., followed by Cracker (rock n' roll) at 10 p.m. until close. At the Bay and Hendry Street stage, the Down South Rockers (classic rock and blues) will open about 8:30 p.m. followed by the Drunk Monkeys ('80s, alternative or whatever you want them to be) a few hours later.

The event is aimed at all ages. Besides live music, it will also feature food vendors and street performers such as a firedancer, magician, balloon sculptor and stilt walker. Holiday decorations will remain up for the Countdown, the final event of the Holiday Stroll season of events in the River District.

"We're adding a few new things this year," said Don Paight, the Fort Myers Redevelopment Agency director. "I think the big difference is we're going to have the new streetscape mostly completed. And we'll be able to show off how nice that looks with all the lights still up. And it's a free event, so with the economy the way it is, it's one more thing people can do without costing them."

Radio personalities and remote entertainment vans from Beasley Broadcast Group include 99X, 96 K-Rock, B 103.9 and Sports Radio 770 ESPN radio stations. They will be scattered throughout the streets and in the Patio de Leon.

Check page C17 for goings on at River District nightclubs and restaurants. Most will remain open past midnight to help people celebrate the first few hours of 2009. Make your plans for the Masquerade party at The Bar Association or exclusive package deals at City Tavern; seating until the crowd recedes at Delicious Things and VIP bottle service specials at EnVie; the historic aura at the French Connection Café or doing shots off a huge black granite bar at H2; riotous locals yelping at Hide-A-Way Sports Bar and 100 kinds of beer at The Indigo Room; sexy go-go girls at Level and Neo and the friendliest service in town at The Morgan House; broken hearts at Sal's Long Shot Lounge and amazing martinis at Spirits of Bacchus; The World Famous Cigar Bar and insanely hot bartenders at Venu.

There will be a DJ at First and Broadway streets by Starbucks, two DJs on Hendry, and a DJ in the Patio De Leon. The ball drop and balloon drop will happen at First and Hendry streets.

"There are more DJs this year and some additional street entertainment" said Rick Vaske, the Downtown Countdown event coordinator with Beasley Broadcast Group. "It'll be a huge bash. The main thing is, it's estimated at 10,000 to 15,000 people. It's just the place to be for New Year's Eve."

The question for out-of-downtowners is, where to park?

"The best parking is at the Harborside lot and in the city garages," Mr. Vaske said.

To find the Harborside lot (free), just drive downtown and look for the parking lot next to the enormous yellow building on Bay Street, across from City Tavern and H2. The city garages cost $4 if you park after 6 p.m. There's one on the corner of Bay and Monroe streets just west of Harborside, the pink one. There is another one on the corner of Main Street and Jackson Street, a few blocks southeast of the pink one.

There is also plenty of street parking and no time limit after 5 p.m.

If you could see these street closings for the event from above, it would have a horseshoe shape: First Street will be closed from Monroe Street to Lee Street. Bay Street Closed from Hendry Street to Dean Street. Hendry is closed from Bay to Main Street. "That's the main footprint," Mr. Vaske said.

The street closings will begin as early as 7 a.m. on Dec. 31.

"It's basically the grand finale and accumulation of everything that's happened throughout the year, and basically, it's just a ton of work," said Raimond Aulen, owner of The Indigo Room in the Patio De Leon. "That's what it is for me, a lot of work and a lot of planning."