New Year's Eve Conch Blow Tradition at Gilchrist Park. More and more people are coming to "blow the last sun down" at Gilchrist Park in Punta Gorda on New Year's Eve.  According to tradition, by saying farewell to the old year and welcoming in the new year by blowing the sun down, good luck and prosperity will come to our area during the next year. Everyone is invited to bring along noise makers, from drums to horns to clappers to clongers. As the sun sets that evening at 5:44 the noise begins and lasts until the last rays have disappeared into the harbor.  Then the tooters and hooters go on to their New Year's Eve celebrations. Let's all say goodbye to 2018 on New Year's Eve at Gilchrist Park to make our joyful noise that will bring peace in 2019 to Punta Gorda, to our community, to our nation and to the world. For information, call Marilyn at 941 505 1915.