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HOME » TRAVEL INSIDER » NEW YEARS TIP SHEET
NIGHT+DAY
New Year's Eve Tip Sheet
Traveling
over the holiday season this year? Looking for the best of the best New Year's celebrations
around the world?
Check
out these New Years 2006-07 events from our NIGHT+DAY travel guides (including some exclusive online content from books we'll
be publishing in 2007).
Amsterdam
New
Year's Eve in Amsterdam
The
Lowdown: Although the Dutch party hard on New Year's Eve, there are no
typical Amsterdam traditions associated with the night. Instead, locals tend
to follow the Western model of celebrating: dancing until dawn with friends,
recklessly shooting off fireworks, and drinking themselves silly —
literally.
Hip
Tip: If you don't end up with an invite to a private party, plan early enough to
score tickets to an event at a local restaurant, hotel, or club. If you'd
rather experience the Dutch equivalent of Times Square, grab a can (or six)
of Heineken, head to the Dam Square, and join in the party.
When: December 31; free.
Where: Dam Square and other locations
Athens
Epiphany
(the 12th Day of Christmas)
The
Lowdown: The "Blessing of the Waters" is an age-old Orthodox
tradition that marks Epiphany, also known as the Twelfth Day of Christmas. At the start of the
new year, thousands gather at Greece's ports and beaches to watch priests bless the seas.
After
the sermon, the priest throws a cross in the water and local boys dive
into the icy depths to retrieve it. The one who finds the cross gets a
blessing from the priest. After the ceremony, everyone heads to the
closest fish tavernas for a festive seafood meal.
Hip
Tip: In Athens, the official ceremony is held in Piraeus; if you don't want to
trek there, the Athens mayor customarily attends the ceremony at Dexameni in Kolonaki.
When: January 6; free.
Where: Ports in various locations
Chicago 
Navy Pier New Year's Eve
The Lowdown:
This is Chicago's biggest end-of-the-year bash, with loads of live music, a huge fireworks show at midnight, and thousands of attractive revelers
in their big-night-out finest. Offering visitors more than 50 acres of parks, promenades, gardens, shops, restaurants and attractions, Navy Pier
is host to an unparalleled array of family-oriented events and entertainment throughout the month of December.
Hip Tip:
The program changes each year, but you can be guaranteed to find an array of events and concerts rocking in the ballroom and Festival Hall and
other onsite venues New Year's Eve as fireworks explode overhead at the family-friendly hour of 7 pm, and again at the more adult stroke of midnight.
When: December 31 (the Winter WonderFest, part of Chicago's popular end-of-the-year festivities, runs from Friday, December 8
through Sunday, January 7, 2007); free.
Where: Navy Pier, 600 E. Grand Ave.
For more info: 312-595-7437; navypier.com
D.C.
Nat'l
Christmas Tree Lighting/Pageant of Peace
The
Lowdown: With one swift motion, the president or the school child he
designates presses a button and illuminates the gorgeously decorated
National Christmas Tree, and the capital's Christmas season is off to a
joyous start. A military band officiates, and entertainers like CeCe Winans
perform. Every night thereafter throughout December, musical groups take the
stage on the Ellipse.
Hip
Tip: Tickets
to the Tree Lighting ceremony and Pageant of Peace are free (but required), and
distributed first-come, first-served the morning of the event at the Ellipse Visitor Pavilion,
southwest corner of 15th and E Sts. NW. Nightly musical performances are free and require no tickets.
When: Early December through Christmas; free.
Where: The Ellipse, south of the White House
For more info: 202-208-1631; pageantofpeace.org
Los Angeles
Tournament of Roses Parade & Rose Bowl Game
The Lowdown:
At 8am, Pasadena ushers in the New Year with its world-famous parade of floral floats (the theme for 2007 is "Our Good Nature"), followed by
one of the biggest football games of the year. The Rose Bowl is "The Granddaddy of Them All," and isn't sponsored by FedEx, Nokia, or Tostitos
like some of the other big college bowls out there. Kick-off is usually at 2pm.
Hip Tip:
If you plan on catching this classic, two-hour morning-TV parade up front and personal, line up early — and we mean very early — or reserve
VIP seating.
When: January 1; free.
Where: The 5.5 mile parade route begins at the corner of Ellis Street and Orange Grove Boulevard in Pasadena, travels north on Orange Grove, and then turns
east onto Colorado Boulevard (where the majority of the Parade takes place); finally, the Parade turns north onto Sierra Madre Boulevard and finishes at
Sierra Madre and Villa Street. The afternoon football classic is played at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena (13 miles northeast of downtown LA), set against
the scenic backdrop of the San Gabriel Mountains
For more info: 626-449-7673, parade tickets 626-795-4171; tournamentofroses.com
Miami
Bayfront Park New Year's Eve
The
Lowdown: You can spend a gazillion bucks to jam into some happening South Beach club on New Year's Eve. Or you can spend next
to nothing and join the crowds to watch the neon Big Orange — Miami's version of the Big Apple — ascend to the top of the
InterContinental Miami from Bayfront Park. Top-name entertainment, lots of ethnic foods, a laser show, a huge Christmas tree, ice
skating, and tens of thousands of revelers make this a party to remember.
Hip
Tip: December and January may resemble winter
around the rest of the US, but in balmy Miami the temps run from the mid-60s to the mid-70s. Winter is also the least-rainy season of
the year, so there's no need to bring your foul weather gear.
When: December 31; free.
Where: Bayfront Park, Downtown Miami
For more info: 305-358-7550;
bayfrontparkmiami.com
New York
New
Year's Eve Ball Drop in Times Square
The
Lowdown: Organized by the Times Square Alliance, the dropping of the
half-ton Waterford Crystal Ball — a classic event, and one of the country's
most popular, in person and on TV — can be seen on Broadway, between 34th and
53rd Streets, and on Seventh Avenue between 43rd and 59th Streets.
Hip
Tip: Half a
million people (85% of them tourists) start lining up for this event around
sunrise on New Year's Eve, so if you plan on making the scene, arrive early
to stake out a good watch spot.
When: December 31; free.
Where: Times Square
For more info: 212-768-1560; timessquarenyc.org
Paris
New
Year's Eve in Paris
The
Lowdown: Christmas is a blink-and-you-miss-it affair, but the Réveillon
(literally "wake-up call") gets everyone out on the streets
honking horns and igniting firecrackers on the Champs-Elysées, which
glisten with white fairy lights all winter.
Hip
Tip: Clubs and restaurants host
extravagant soirées with oysters and champagne — the plum ticket is the Hôtel
Crillon's banquet with a view of the fireworks on Place de la Concorde.
When: December 31; admission ranges from anything from zero to
€1000 (tickets to the Crillon banquet cost about €700 for two).
Where: Champs-Elysées, place de la Concorde
San Francisco
New
Year's Eve in San
Francisco
The
Lowdown: New
Year's Eve in San Francisco is a cavalcade of events: music, theatre, art,
dance. whatever. There's no single stand-out event, but if you're spending
New Year's in the City by the Bay, there's no shortage of fine restaurants,
dance clubs and party spots to ring in the New Year with punch and panache.
Hip
Tip: Civic Center, the Castro, North Beach and the SoMa neighborhoods
are always happening 365 days a year; the cover charges are just higher on
New Year's Eve...
When: December 31; free.
Where: Civic Center, the Castro, North Beach and SoMa neighborhoods
Sydney
New Year's Eve Fireworks
The Lowdown:
Sydney is one of the best places in the world to ring in the New Year. The Harbour Bridge gushes like a waterfall, the sky explodes above you,
water barges fizz and crackle, and the Opera House glitters under the light. There's "family fireworks" at 9pm, but the real show kicks
off at midnight. If you want something even more spectacular, book a cruise on the Harbour — just check around the ferry station (well in advance)
to see what your options are. Some tickets are even available for boats that participate in the "Harbour of Lights" parade that takes place
earlier in the evening.
Hip Tip:
Get to the Rocks or Circular Quay early, or sit beside the Harbour Bridge at Milsons Point and watch the spectacle — these areas have restricted
access and once they fill up, late-comers are turned away. Another great option is to cross the bridge and view the celebration from Blues Point or
Bradfield Park. Wherever you choose, be aware that checkpoints are set up to search bags — no glass or alcohol allowed, but there are plenty of
places to buy it.
When: December 31; free.
Where: Sydney Harbour
For more info: cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/nye
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