Top 10 New Year's Eve Destinations

All over the world partygoers look for the ultimate New Year's Eve bash. Major cities have a plethora of bars, clubs, and restaurants but it can be hard to find a truly original and exciting way to welcome in the new year. For those looking for a unique way to celebrate the occasion, check out these 10 spectacular New Year's Eve celebrations across America.
THE STRIP: SIN CITY

The Las Vegas Strip is closed to traffic and transformed into a pedestrian party for thousands of celebrants. With plenty of food, drink and entertainment, including street performers and show girls, there is a wealth of activities to keep revellers occupied until the magnificent midnight pyrotechnics.

If one's New Year's Eve isn't complete without a little clubbing, then one will get a treat in Vegas, where celebrities join the masses at upscale nightclubs. Those prepared to spend $150 to $250 may get the chance to rub elbows with A listers. Alternatively, take in one of the big acts hosted by the large hotels andcasinos before seeing 40,000 tons of fireworks set alight at midnight.

TIMES SQUARE: NEW YORK CITY

Every year people worldwide tune in to watch Dick Clark count down the seconds to the famous ball drop inTimes Square, while the hundreds of thousands of people lucky enough to be there create a jam in and around the square—so don't expect to be able to leave until the party's over!

Merrymakers can continue to celebrate well past midnight at parties held in clubs, restaurants and hotelsin the Times Square area and throughout Manhattan. For those who have made resolutions for a healthier lifestyle in the new year, start off on the right foot with the Brooklyn Bridge Walk or the New Year's Midnight Run.

BAY BOAT TOUR: SAN FRANCISCO

San Francisco celebrates the new year with a variety of flamboyant events. A harbour tour is an ideal way to see the city lights and brilliant fireworks displays. Family cruises are affordable, typically hosted by a DJ and serve finger food and light drinks. Adult cruises offer four-course meals, top-shelf bars, live bands and dance floors.

There are also a variety of indoor and outdoor benefit events in San Francisco, including masquerade balls, themed galas and fashion shows, many of which feature unusual entertainment including exotic dancers, magicians and acrobatic acts.

HAWAIIAN LUAU: HONOLULU

Honolulu has plenty of nightclubs, hotels and restaurants at which to welcome the big occasion but the most inspiring is a traditional Hawaiian luau, where guests can experience colorful and animated island rituals. A buffet-style meal includes seafood, chicken, beef, pork and lamb dishes and open bars are well stocked with beer, wine and tropical cocktails. Stories are told using a fusion of legendary songs, mesmerizing chants, traditional Polynesian dances and modern choreography.

Fireworks are an important part of Hawaiian celebrations, stemming from Asian influences in Polynesian culture. View the amazing displays from Waikiki Beach or offshore on a boat cruise.


DISNEY WORLD: ORLANDO

Walt Disney World Resort is the ultimate destination for families to welcome in the new year. Music, dancing, parades and spectacular fireworks ensure that it is a night to remember. The Magic Kingdom, Epcot Center and Hollywood Studios are open late but theAnimal Kingdom closes at 8pm. Adults will enjoy Pleasure Island where a huge street party is fuelled by a generous buffet, live entertainment, dancing, plenty of party favors and a midnight fireworks display.

Parks reach capacity through the day after which further admittance is not permitted so arrive early and spend the entire day.

TORCHLIGHT PARADE: ANCHORAGE

Fire and ice is the only way to describe the astounding New Year's Eve celebrations in Anchorage, Alaskawhere the cold doesn't stop locals from enjoying the biggest party of the year. Downtown hosts musicians, dancers, acrobats, jugglers and magicians performing around the skating pond and an amazing array of ice sculptures carved by local artists.

Meanwhile, in nearby Girdwood, the Torchlight Parade begins, a longstanding tradition involving 300 skiers and snowboarders. Participants traverse the slopes of Mount Alyeska with bamboo torches, illuminating the mountain with a trail of firelight. The evening ends with the biggest fireworks show in Alaska.

NEW ORLEANS

In New Orleans New Year's Eve is a little bit different from most places; midnight is when the party really begins. The biggest celebration is at Jackson Square, packed with festive partygoers eager to ring in the new year. Instead of a ball drop, Baby Bacchus falls from his perch atop the Jax Brewery. A magnificent fireworks show over the Mississippi River follows, then the crowd migrates to Bourbon Street to party until morning.

Bars, clubs and restaurants offer a more intimate atmosphere for the festivities. And there is an abundance of family events, including 'countdowns to noon' hosted by the Louisiana Children's Museum andAudubon Zoo, complete with games, entertainment, balloons and confetti.SPACE NEEDLE: SEATTLE

Seattle's most famous landmark becomes the center of a dazzling display launched from 75 locations on and around the needle. One hundred thousand spectators watch from the ground but the best view is from the Space Needle itself. Start by taking the minute-long elevator ride to the top. Those lucky enough to catch a snowstorm will see snowflakes floating gently upward, since the elevator moves faster than the snow falls. Dine in SkyCity, a sophisticated restaurant with a rotating 360-degree view of the Seattle skyline,Cascade Mountains, Mount Rainier, Elliot Bay and surrounding islands. Then check out the open-air observation deck (O Deck) directly above the restaurant to best experience the lights and sounds of the fireworks display.
CRUCIAN CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL: ST. CROIX

A real party lasts more than one night. In the US Virgin Islands the annual Crucian Christmas Festival on St. Croix begins on the first Thursday in December and ends on the first Saturday of January. Experience traditional events such as the crowning of a Queen and King, calypso contests and parades. In mid-December, onlookers from the boardwalk enjoy the annual St. Croix Boat Parade, a procession of boats ablaze with festive lights accompanied by music and fireworks. New Year's Eve is celebrated at the Festival Village in Frederiksted.

PEACH DROP: ATLANTA

A great way to count down to the new year for the whole family is the annual Peach Drop at Underground Atlanta. This 20-year-old celebration is the largest New Year's Eve party in the Southeast (and the second largest event of its kind in the United States, behind the famous Times Square ball drop). The fun begins at noon and goes to midnight. Early events include kids' games, activities and live music. At night expect fireworks, big name acts, and of course, the much anticipated descent of the 800-lb (363-kg) peach.

It is recommended that celebrants who want to dine out on the big night make reservations for restaurants in the vicinity of Underground Atlanta; all of the bars and nightclubs in the area are open until 4am.