Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — For Emma Hively, 2016 will be hard to top.
She learned to ride a bike without training wheels and lost five teeth. "And the tooth fairy let me keep my two front teeth," she said.
The 8-year-old, along with her father, Kevin Hively, and her lifelong friend, Steele Winner, also 8, were at the Salt Palace Convention Center Saturday to ring in the new year on the final night of EVE Winterfest.
From a spirited game of cornhole, to bounding through a convention hall full of bounce houses and slides, EVE Winterfest was a fun way to celebrate New Year's Eve and reflect on the coming year, Kevin Hively said.
His wish for 2017? "I want to find peace," Hively said.
Throughout the Salt Palace revelers enjoyed a wide array of activities, such as drumming on metal trash cans, trash can lids and a wide array of plastic buckets to climbing inside human hamster balls and attempting to knock down giant inflatable bowling pins.
Nine-year-old Samantha Barlow, of Taylorsville, said banging on buckets and cans was fun but "they made a lot of noise."
Barlow, who attends a dual-immersion school that teaches English and Spanish, said her resolution for the new year is to "try to get a little better with Spanish."
That and "to try to be a better person."
Her cousin, Chloe Lark, 8, said her wish for the new year was her sister wouldn't have to be out of town so much for work.
After sampling much of what EVE Winterfest has offer, Barlow said she planned to go home, watch a movie and play some board games to bring in 2017.
"We're excited for the new year," she said.
EVE Winterfest, staged at a dozen venues in the downtown area from Dec. 26-31, featured events for young and old.
Some braved temperatures in the 20s to ice skate at the Gallivan Center while others went indoors for musical performances, games and sing-alongs, although admission allowed entry to multiple venues. EVE WinterFest is a project of Downtown SLC Presents.
Jaimee O'Brien said her grandchildren had so much at EVE Winterfest last year that they couldn't wait to return.
"Where else can you go and have this many bounce houses in one place?" she said.
Reflecting on the coming year, O'Brien said she wished for good health for her family.
"I have everything I need. I have a house. I have food to eat. My daughter is happy. Life is good," she said.
Jennifer Erickson, of Layton, who climbed into an inflatable ring to "joust" with her 7-year-old son, Dallin, said she brought her children to the Salt Palace to get together with their cousins.
A mother of six, Erickson said her New Year's resolution are "to be more kind, to be more patient and more willing to try new things, like jousting in a bounce house!"
