For the fourth year in a row, Los Angeles will throw a big, public New year’s Eve celebration in Downtown’s Grand Park. The party will span multiple blocks, including the park and sections of the streets around it, for a total of 90 acres of New Year’s Eve festivities.
The event will offer live music on three stages, plus a host of food vendors, and free photo booths. The countdown to 2017 will be projected in huge images on the exterior of City Hall.
One thing that the party won’t have is alcohol. There are more things besides booze that can’t be brought to the park for New Year’s Eve. A full list of what is and is not allowed is here.
Where to enter
The New Year’s Eve event in Grand Park can be entered from one of four entrances:
- First Street and Grand Avenue
- Temple and Hill streets
- Second and Hill streets
- First and Main streets
Street closures
The map below marks not only the event entrances, but also the Metro stations and—very important—restrooms. (This interactive map includes the hours of each street’s closure as well as the locations of a few suggested parking lots.)
How to get there
Metro
Metro’s Grand Park/Civic Center station is the subway stop to take for easy access to the party. Grand Park’s website notes the station’s First Street exit will be open to all coming and going to the fun. The station’s other exit, Temple, will be closed until midnight, at which point it will open to people leaving the party. The event is also a short walk from the Gold Line’s Little Tokyo station.
As has become the custom, rides on all Metro rail and buses will be free from 9 p.m. New Year’s Eve/Saturday night to 2 a.m. New Year’s Day/Sunday. Metro rail fare gates will be open during that timeframe—no need to tap until after 2 a.m.
Metro light rail and bus lines will run on their usual Saturday schedule with 24-hour, overnight service. (Even the Orange and Silver Lines.)
Uber
People taking an Uber or Lyft to Grand Park on January 31 are asked to use a designated drop-off/pick-up area near the First and Main entrance. (A suggested pin-drop location is here.)
Bike
Thinking about biking? The Source says that Metro Bike bike share is operating at a hefty discount for walk-up users: From now until New Year’s Day, it’s just $1 for a 30-minute ride. (There’s a promo code; normally, walk-up riders pay $3.50 for a 30-minute trip.)
Those who ride their own bikes to the event will be able to take advantage of free bike valet, provided by the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, at 2nd and Hill streets.
- New Year’s Eve L.A. [Grand Park]