NEW YORK-
Sure, you can join the party in Times Square on New Year’s Eve. It’s free, open to the public, very crowded and often freezing cold, but always fun. Or you can tune in from home and watch it on TV.
But if you’re looking for other destinations for the Dec. 31-Jan. 1 holiday, here are some ideas.
Las Vegas turns the Strip into a street party and sets off fireworks from the hotel rooftops. For details on parties, packages and entertainment in Sin City, check out the New Year’s listings at .
In Seattle, there will be a fireworks display at the Space Needle. Visitors to Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., can have fun at an alcohol-free street party and fireworks show. Key West, Fla., will host a variety of New Year’s Eve celebrations, including a 6-foot-tall manmade conch shell that’s scheduled to descend to the roof of Sloppy Joe’s Bar at midnight.
In New Orleans, there will be entertainment in Jackson Square and fireworks over the Mississippi, and a lighted gumbo pot will be dropped from atop Jax Brewery to rival the lighted ball dropped in Times Square. Hang around the city for a few days after the gumbo pot drops; the Sugar Bowl football game between Notre Dame and Louisiana State University will be played at the Superdome on Jan. 3.
Farther from home, Yahoo! FareChase reports that the most-researched international destinations for hotels for Dec. 31 are Cancun in Mexico, Paris, Dubai, Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, and London.
As for New Year’s Day, the Tournament of Roses Parade starts at 8 a.m. PST in Pasadena, Calif., followed by a chance to see the beautiful floats with their floral decorations up close at Pasadena City College.
In Philadelphia on Jan. 1, the Mummers Parade, an annual tradition that’s more than a century old, kicks off at 9 a.m. in Philadelphia at Broad Street and Washington Avenue. Many of the 10,000 marchers are men in outrageous wigs and dresses. The event, which is not nationally televised, begins with the “comic brigades,” known for their themed spoofs, followed by the “fancies,” who dress in elaborate dresses and costumes. The final contingent consists of the string bands, who play old-time music. Details at .
If you’d rather spend the holiday indoors, a four-day film festival unfolds over New Year’s weekend, from Dec. 29 through Jan. 1, at the Tarrytown House Estate and Conference Center in Tarrytown, N.Y., about 25 miles north of New York City. The festival has been held for 33 years; film critics Judith Crist and Peter Travers will preside over round-table discussions with guest directors and actors. The festival organizers promise that the movies are all previews of major 2007 releases, and the package from Tarrytown House, which includes lodging, the screenings, and all meals from Friday night dinner to Sunday lunch, is $999 per person, double occupancy. For details, call 914-591-3148 or visit .
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