The holidays are built on traditions, and the NEXT New West Ugly Christmas Sweater Party is fast becoming one that locals look forward to.
This is the third year the NEXT crew - a networking group for young residents and business professionals in the city - has held the holiday get-together.
"Our first year we did at the Terminal Pub; last year, we did a curling event, and this year we decided to do the Elks Club," says Tej Kainth, executive director of Tourism New Westminster and one of the founders of NEXT New West.
The ugly sweater soiree is set for Friday, Dec. 14 at the Elks Club on Columbia Street. The event costs $20 and includes a burger and beer, plus all of the old-school favourites like shuffleboard, pool tables, darts, jukebox karaoke (special order for the event) and a 60/40 draw.
Everyone is encouraged to dust off their ugliest sweater - or raid their parents' or grandparents' closet to find the most festive get-up they can, and saunter on down to the Elks Club, which has been in New West since 1926.
Kainth explains where the ugly sweater idea came from: "They've got a huge ugly sweater event that happens every year at the Commodore, and I thought it would be kind of a cool thing to have it for New Westminster. It's just a fun theme for December.
"Some people show up in festive sweaters, not all of them are ugly," she says. "Some people put in a lot of time to create a nice festive looking sweater. Last year, we curled in our ugly sweaters, and it was probably one of the funniest things. Watching people curl was kind of funny because it's hard to curl."
The ugly and/or festive sweaters are great conversation starters and definitely makes for a lot of laughs, says Kainth, who grabbed her sweater from the Salvation Army this year.
She likes to don a new one every year, but she hasn't always met the ugly mandate.
"My first year I went for ugly but apparently it was in style. It was the funniest thing . 'cause I thought it was ugly, and someone said, "No they actually sell those at Metrotown, and they're in fashion,'" she says.
The ugly sweater event is one of NEXT's most popular monthly events. The group held a patio pub crawl in the summer, which was also a huge hit. More than 100 people showed up to try out different pub patios and determine which one was the favourite.
In the end, Wild Rice at the River Market won the honours for its beautiful waterfront location, Kainth says.
"It was a crazy night, but it brought so many people together," she says.
Kainth is also excited about the holiday event and has even got the Elks staff into the fun, asking them to dress for the occasion.
The event goes from 6 p.m. on, and anyone who wants to come is encouraged to reserve a ticket through nextnw@ gmail.com. Don't forget to RSVP. Space is limited.
