'It's basically non-existent': Another Windsor pandemic New Year’s Eve

A second New Year’s Eve under the pandemic umbrella has left some bar and event venue operators with a sense of frustrated optimism as they look towards the year ahead.

Several places have scaled back end of year festivities or cancelled events altogether.

“We had kind of a feeling that it might not happen,” Giovanni Caboto Club general manager Ron Moro says staff resisted selling ticket for their scheduled event, rather taking names and numbers, anticipating pandemic restrictions would be renewed.

“The bar closes at 10 p.m. You can’t dance and you got to be out of the building by eleven. It’s pretty hard to celebrate New Year’s Eve like that.”

Their celebration dubbed Windsor’s Premier New Year’s Eve Gala had to be cancelled, with holiday take-out meals being offered until 4 o’clock instead.

Moro remains hopeful next year’s celebration will be bigger and better in-person.

“Quite honestly, it’s the second best of what we’d want to do,” Moro says. “We really would rather have our party, but that’s okay.”

Other places closed for the entire day and evening, with management saying it isn’t worth opening when patrons have to leave before midnight.

“It’s the same as last year. It’s basically non-existent,” says Renaldo Agostino, president of Turbo Espresso Bar, a cafe and bar, and of events company Element Entertainment.

“It’s the loss of the Americans that hurts us the most because tonight, downtown Windsor is usually like it’s 1995 and losing that for a second year in a row is devastating.”

Agostino recalls previous New Year’s Eve events in years past attracting an abundance of American revellers, telling CTV News he believes things will improve in 2022.

“We need to be positive we need to be healthy we need to be safe we need to count our blessings,” Agostino adds. “A year ago I didn’t think we’d survive without New Years and we did. Just everyone be happy be safe and for people that are out there celebrating, just be careful.”