Photo: "Ringing In the New Year with Snowballs" by sevennine, member of the blogTO Flickr Pool.

Events on Toronto's Radar for NEW YEAR'S EVE and NEW YEAR'S DAY... lovingly handpicked from blogTO's events calendar.

Thursday, December 31:

A strange phenomenon occurs whenever you ask a group of friends what their plans are for New Year's Eve. Four out of five will respond with something along the lines of: "I don't know... I don't really like New Year's. All that pressure."

If none of us really enjoy it, then who exactly are all those people lined up outside bars and clubs every December 31st? Every New Year's, naysayer must secretly be hoping it all comes together. Sure it can be stressful trying to plan that perfect evening, but blogTO's New Year's Eve Guide is here to make things a little easier. There are also a tremendous amount of great bands hitting stages across the city tonight for your listening pleasure.

Happy partying and all the best in 2010, everyone out there in Internet Land!

Friday, January 1:

FUNDRAISER | Toronto Polar Bear Dip 2010
Start the new year off with a purifying (not to mention) sobering dip in the frigid waters of Lake Ontario. For the fifth straight year the Toronto Polar Bear Club takes to the lake on New Year's Day to raise money for Habitat for Humanity Toronto, the venerable non-profit that has been providing housing for low-income families since 1988. You have to supply $20 in pledges or entry fees to participate, and pledge forms can be printed from the Polar Bears' website.
Sunnyside Park, 11:30 am, $20 minimum

WINTER WALK | Annual Hike of the Leslie Street Spit
If jumping in freezing cold water is a bit too drastic a hangover cure for you, how about an invigorating walk through Toronto's little patch of greenery in the midst of downtown? The Leslie Street Spit is home to 400 species of plants and over 300 species of birds, not to mention fox, coyotes, and rabbits. The walk is led by the knowledgeable folks at the Toronto Bruce Trail Club who will be happy to point out the critters along the way, and while the walk is 3 hours and 12 km long you're free to drop out at any time.
Leslie St. at Unwin Ave., Free, 12:30 pm

PHOTOGRAPHY | The Great Feast: Photographs by Daniel Atkinson
Artist-run Queen St. gallery the Lens Factory has earned itself a reputation among local photogs for its exhibitions of works by emerging artists, including February 2009's Morgan Freeman-linked show Prom Night In Mississippi by Catherine Farquharson. This month the gallery hosts Toronto photographer Daniel Atkinson's first ever show, a collection of 16 photos from his travels in Canada and the United States. Runs til January 30.
The Lens Factory, 1040 Queen St. W., Free, 11 am - 6 pm

PARTY | Steve Lawler Live at Circa
If you can keep drinking past midnight and all through New Year's Day, try to make it out to the giant party at Circa. Steve Lawler is a legend among house music afficionados, or so I'm told, and has energized crowds from London to Ibiza to Los Angeles and back. Deep, dark, and sexy house music is his specialty, the perfect trance-inducing soundtrack to a hazy New Year's Day night.
Circa, 126 John St., 9:20 pm

SONG AND DANCE | New Years Day Gospel Dance Party
Start 2010 off on a positive note with this participatory gospel concert and dance party. No particular religious belief is required, just the desire to sing at the top of your lungs and move to the music. It's a four hour event, so make sure your body and soul are well-rested if you plan to attend.
Dovercourt House, 805 Dovercourt, $8, $5 Students, 3 pm - 7 pm

For full listings, head on over to our events calendar.
Have an event you'd like to plug? Submit your own listing to the blogTO calendar, contact us directly, or use our handy Facebook app.

For Toronto movie showtimes, view our Movie Listings section.