Happy New EVE

New York City may have the ball drop in Times Square, but years from now, people may be talking about Salt Lake City's New Year's Eve bash in the same conversation.

At least that is the ultimate goal behind downtown Salt Lake City's newest venture, said Jason Mathis, director of the Downtown Alliance.

Replacing First Night as the city's New Year's celebration is EVE, a three-day event that will sprawl downtown Salt Lake City, including "everywhere, everything, and everyone," according to the event Web site.

"We want this to become one of the county's greatest festivals, drawing people from around the country and eventually the world," Mathis said.

EVE is just the beginning of downtown Salt Lake City's rise, and it eventually will be the pull for tourists to also ski the Utah powder, see the lights at Temple Square and catch a Jazz game while they're at it, Mathis said.

Like First Night, the new event will maintain a midnight-hour fireworks presentation — but on a much grander scale.

"We are going to shoot off all the same fireworks in a 90-second period, so that the whole sky literally explodes for 2010," said Jeffrey Berke, EVE's event planner and head of Jeffrey Berke Productions.

Additional events for EVE will be bigger and better, too.

Kicking off with ice skating at 4 p.m. on Dec. 29, the Gallivan Center, Temple Square, Pierpont Avenue, the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center and The Gateway will teem with action, including live local music, DJ dance parties and dance performances.

With "eBay It Forward," participants will have a unique service opportunity by telling the story behind their most treasured items from 2009.

A pavilion at The Gateway will showcase the items, which will then be sold via eBay's Giving Works.

Proceeds will benefit Family Promise, a local organization that assists homeless families in Salt Lake.

To include young families, EVE will host "Goalzz with the Grizz," where kids 10 and younger face off against professional hockey players, and arts and crafts, storytelling and singalongs to animated children's films.

Sports and pet enthusiasts will find entertainment, too, with ski and snowboarding stunts at the USANA Rail Jam and a slew of pet lover activities such as an owner/pet look-a-like contest and holiday pet parade.

"EVE has something for everyone, regardless of where you fit in this broad complex that is Salt Lake City," Mathis said.

And though the 72-hour extravaganza won't match the 2002 Winter Olympics in size or scale, Mathis said he hopes EVE will capture some of the same energy, with people walking around downtown smiling.

"We think it is important to be forward-thinking and optimistic at this time," Mathis said. "EVE is just that."