What to Know
- Noon Year’s Eve
- Discovery Cube Los Angeles
- Wednesday, Dec. 31
- 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Balloons will drop at noon and 3 p.m.
- $28
Some people might say that New Year’s Eve is not so much a time as a state of mind, and those some people would be correct: If you want to write down fresh resolutions and adopt a positive outlook, you don’t need to wait for the stroke of midnight on the last day of the year to do so.
But there are certainly specific times and touchstones associated with the annual event, most notably 12 a.m. (or the more poetic “stroke of midnight,” if you prefer).
That said, Discovery Cube Los Angeles, the educational museum in Sylmar, changes up the hands of the clock each year with something sunny, and sunlit, for families to enjoy.
It’s Noon Year’s Eve, a daytime New Year’s Eve party that has an earlier start than the traditional moon-glow bashes. Much earlier: The event is celebrated at noon on Dec. 31, and again at 3 o’clock.
This gives grown-ups and little ones the upbeat opportunity to savor the year-ending, year-beginning festivity about 12 hours, or 9 hours, in advance, meaning everyone can be tucked up at home well before dark.
A ticket is $28, and there are some left, though they do go fast as Dec. 31 approaches.
Apple cider is the beverage of choice, or ginger ale if you’re seeking something a bit spicy, and a DJ will be on hand to get the revelers moving.
The museum will be open, too, for browsing, looking, and enjoying. Some of the science-themed exhibits including a look at Zamboni tech (paging hockey fans) and a broadcast booth giving youngsters room to try making some news.
Holiday merriment is also afoot, with the Science of Gingerbread on delicious display.
So can you truly and joyfully jump into the magic of New Year’s Eve several hours in advance?
Absolutely: New beginnings are there to be embraced at any point, even at noon or 3 p.m. on the last day of the year.