ANAHEIM – The producers of electronic-dance raves that have raised concern and criticism in the past are staging a giant New Year’s party – on Saturday and Sunday – at the Anaheim Convention Center.

The dance party has raised safety concerns about overcrowding and potential drug use, but local officials say they are satisfied with safety preparations for the event.

The 21-and-over bash, “White Wonderland,” is expected to draw up to 14,500 people each night. It will feature a large dance stage and a massive display of light-and-music theatrics, “creating an all-encompassing winter wonderland experience,” according to event organizers.

The event’s website – whitewonderland.com – invites attendees to “fall down the rabbit hole with us once again and experience Wonderland in its most pure and sparkling form.”

Insomniac, the company that is producing the event, also produced the June 2010 “Electric Daisy Carnival” – a giant rave at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum that ignited a firestorm of criticism and media attention after a 15-year-old girl died during the event.

The parents of that 15-year-old, Sasha Rodriguez, have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Insomniac saying the company was negligent in supervision of the event. Rodriguez overdosed on the illegal drug Ecstasy after entering the venue and, because of overcrowding, medical response was delayed for 20 minutes, the lawsuit alleges.

A second lawsuit against Insomniac by Paul Romon, who attended a 2009 rave at the Coliseum, claims that he suffered major head injuries when the crowd swelled and he was thrown to the ground.

Attorneys for Insomniac have denied wrongdoing by the promoter in those cases.

Prior to those cases, the annual “Electric Daisy Carnival” had been held in Los Angeles since 1995 without major incident. Negative publicity and intense scrutiny prompted Insomniac to move that event to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway earlier this year. It attracted more than 200,000 people over three days and proceeded with no major incidents reported.

In Anaheim, the event is scheduled from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. beginning Saturday and Sunday nights and will feature prominent DJs and producers such as Paul Van Dyk, Steve Angelo and Kaskade.

Saturday night is sold out. An event organizer wouldn’t confirm an exact number of tickets sold, but an Anaheim fire official said ticket sales would be capped at 14,500 each night. Tickets for Sunday begin at $40 and range up to $9,500 for a VIP package with 12 passes. The event comes with a strict dress code that requires attendees to wear primarily white outfits.

The event has sparked some concern locally, especially from parents who worry about it being a free-wheeling rave inside a city-owned venue.

“I just don’t think that’s the kind of event that Anaheim should be promoting,” said Linda Lucero, an Anaheim resident who heard about it when her teenagers brought home a flier. “I know it’s 21-and-over, but I don’t think that’s going to prevent some high-school kids from trying to get in. I don’t want my kids inside a rave – whether it’s in a warehouse or at the Convention Center.”

Eric Rose, a spokesman for Insomniac, said identification scanners will be used to ensure proper sale of alcohol. “And we have extraordinary security measures to ensure no illegal drugs enter the venue,” he said.

After staging a successful event for more than 200,000 in Las Vegas earlier this year, producers seem more than prepared for the Anaheim event, local officials said.

The event will include hundreds of private security guards. Anaheim Fire Department paramedics will be on hand and first-aid tents will be set up on site in case of a medical emergency, said Jeff Lutz, Anaheim’s fire marshal.

“We have a high level of comfort with their (Insomniac officials’) preparedness,” Lutz said.

One college student from Fullerton, who plans to attend with three girlfriends, said such events have unfairly come under a microscope.

“It’s no different than a rock concert,” said Claudia Gomez, 23. “There might be some people on drugs, but almost everybody there is there for the music, to dance and have a good time – completely sober.

“These parents that are complaining, weren’t they the same ones going to Grateful Dead concerts when they were our age?” she said with a laugh.

Contact the writer: 714-704-3769 or ecarpenter@ocregister.com