United Way Helps Ring In New Year’s Eve at the Orange County Great Park

Orange County United Way “Midway” carnival games at the Great Night event will benefit charities

IRVINE –Celebrate New Year’s Eve with your entire family at Great Night! at the Great Park where you can also support local non-profits at the United Way “Midway”. More than a dozen agencies will host carnival-style games and raffle prizes to benefit Orange County’s neediest families.

Great Night is our first ever Great Park Family New Year’s Eve celebration, providing a safe, alcohol-free environment filled with fun for the whole family, including live music and dancing, games, kids activities and great food on Saturday, December 31 from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. At 9:00 p.m., as the ball drops in Times Square, the glowing Great Park balloon will descend at the Great Park.
“We’re thrilled to have the United Way of Orange County as a partner in this event,” said Beth Krom, Chair, Orange County Great Park Corporation. “Through proceeds from the United Way Midway, the Great Night celebration will help make 2012 a better year for all Orange County children and families.”

Visitors will be able to see military vehicles and vintage cars and kids can create artistic crafts, enjoy carousel rides and everyone can dine on delicious food available from a variety of gourmet food vendors. Visitors can also send New Years Eve photos to friends and family and post them on Facebook from one of four special high-tech photo booths.

The event will feature music and images of each decade from the 1940s to the present. Local dance groups will perform dances from each era, and everyone can get down as a DJ plays tunes from the disco era in the Hangar 244 Lounge. The disco-themed area commemorates the City of Irvine’s 40th anniversary.

Southland Mega Groove, a 5-piece band with versatile vocalists, will rock the night away with songs from throughout the decades. At 8:30 p.m. the Park will transform into a party atmosphere in time to ring in the New Year with a pop of streamers, party hats and noise makers.

Great Night! Great Park Family New Year’s Eve will count down to 2012 on East Coast time, culminating at 9:00 p.m. with the Great Park Balloon descending simultaneously with the Times Square ball drop in New York. Admission is free, and parking is $10.

The Orange County Great Park is located at Sand Canyon and Marine Way, and can easily be reached by the 5 or 405 freeways. For this event, a special entrance to the Park will be from Trabuco Road. Take Jeffrey road exit from the 5 or 405 and turn right on Trabuco. For more information, please visit www.ocgp.org or call 866-829-3829.

About the Great Park
The Orange County Great Park, with its 1,347-acre master plan, is the focal point of the redevelopment of the publicly-owned portion of the 4,700-acre former Marine Corps Air Station, El Toro. The Great Park features an iconic tethered helium balloon hat rises 400 feet in the air, providing an aerial view of Park development. Other features include the Carousel, Farm + Food Lab, Kids Rock Playground, Walkable Timeline, Palm Court Arts Complex, North Lawn recreation area and historic Hangar 244. The South Lawn lighted soccer fields and Community Garden will be added in 2012.