***UPDATED***
Vermont Design Works would like to wish everyone a very Happy New Year! Have a fun and safe time tonight, however you choose to celebrate!
Still don't have New Year's Eve plans? Here are a few of the events happening around VT tonight...
Downtown Burlington is getting ready to ring in 2013 with the 30th annual First Night Burlington celebrations. Each year about 10,000 people stroll along the city’s frosty streets to hear performers send out the old year and welcome the new with all sorts of live, family-friendly entertainment.
Starting at noon today and carrying into the official start of 2013, Burlington will host more than 100 performances featuring everything from rock bands to circus acts. Here’s a preview of what to expect.
The Free Press goes on to explain that while weather should be about what you might expect this time of year throughout most of the evening, after midnight is a bit of a wildcard with the potential for snow squalls as an Artic blast blows into town. Icy roads and low visibility could quickly become issues for drivers.
BFP also lists some of the entertainment, culminating with the midnight fireworks show, but for the complete list I'd recommend checking out First Night's own "Artists & Activities" page. Speaking of fireworks, Echo would like revelers to know that they can stay warm while watching the show from inside their new Revision Lakeside Pavilion, as part of Echo's First Annual Gala, which is part of their 10th anniversary celebration. More event details at Vermont.com.
First Night St. Johnsbury 2013
Seeing as I rarely leave Chittenden County it shouldn't be a surprise that I'd never heard of First Night in St. Jay, but tonight they'll be hosting their 20th annual New Year's Eve celebration. Boston.com has more.
Middlebury: Town Hall Theater - The Horse Traders
Vermont today has the scoop on the New Year's Eve celebration at Town Hall Theater and the return of Weybridge's own The Horse Traders as the headliners. The THT's Executive Director Douglas Anderson says that the band "blew the roof off the place" last year, so it's no surprise that they brought them back. More details on the event from THT's calendar:
NEW YEAR’S EVE at Town Hall Theater 12/31
Dance in the New Year with The Horse Traders featuring local favorite musicians Deb Brisson, Rick Marshall, Jon Rooney, Pete Ryan, and John Wallace. The band covers a wide range of music from modern pop and oldies to classic rock, soul and country. Free champagne toast at midnight, as THT’s Great Bell rings in 2013.Food and drink available.
8 pm to 1 am $15 General Admission
THT is also hosting an event until 10:30 PM at Middlebury Inn. Dinner, drinks and entertainment will all be on the menu and then your ticket allows you entry into the other celebration at The Theater.
THT's NEW YEAR’S EVE at the Middlebury Inn 12/31
Welcome in the New Year in great style. At historic Middlebury Inn we’ll start with a reception, then move on to a sumptuous dinner (with wine included) and an elegant dinner theater entertainment of great singing and great songs conceived and directed by Douglas Anderson. For those who want to party on until midnight, your ticket will also get you admittance to the dance across the street at Town Hall Theater. A portion of your ticket benefits Town Hall Theater.
6:30 pm to 10:30 pm
$80 (plus $8 R&M Tax) – includes reception, dinner, entertainment and gratuity.
Four Columns Inn, Newfane VT - 2012 New Years Holiday
It's probably a little late to book one of the 3 day packages at the Four Columns Inn, but if you expect to find yourself in SE VT tonight, it couldn't hurt to contact them and find out what they do have available.
New Year's at VT Ski Areas - Okemo and Magic Mountain
Ski Vermont has put together quite a comprehensive calendar of events that takes you right through to mid-May, including 2 New Year's Eve parties tonight:
New Year’s Bash, Magic Mountain
December 31, 2012
Ring in the New Year with friends at the Black Line Brew Pub!www.magicmtn.comFamily New Year’s Eve, Okemo Mountain Resort
December 31, 2012
Midnight arrives early for friends and family enjoying a whole host of activities. Following early evening ice skating, snowtubing, snowshoeing, mountain coaster rides, horse-drawn wagon rides, cookie decorating, bingo games and a trivia tournament, families can ring in the New Year early with a DJ dance party - and still get the kids to bed in time for a full day on the slopes the next day. Call (802) 228-1600 or visit www.okemo.com
I'm not one for the cold, but that Okemo event sounds like my kind of party! BTW, have you ever heard of the "Mountain Coaster"? I hadn't, but it looks awesome!
Finally, Vermont Life has posted a list of 13 events happening around the state, courtesy of the Vermont Dept. of Tourism and Marketing. Rather than steal their list I'm going to make you click over if you want to check out all 13, but here are a few highlights:
13. Fireworks & Torchlight Parade: Carrying flaming torches, Stowe Mountain Resort patrollers ski down the face of the mountain. Enjoy the beauty of Mount Mansfield as it comes alive with a spectacle of lights.
11. Learn to Firewalk this New Year’s Eve: All are welcome to Spirit Hollow’s fourth annual firewalk in North Bennington. No experience or desire to walk the fire is necessary. Space is limited, but overnight accommodations are available in the yurt.
9. Laugh in the New Year: Funny hats, funnier comedians. Ring in the New Year with a dinner buffet, DJ, dancing, champagne and comedy at the Hampton Inn New Year’s Eve Comedy Celebration.
7. New Year’s Eve Dinner at New England Culinary Institute: NECI starts the evening with a champagne reception followed by a multi-course dinner with wine pairings and hand-crafted desserts.
And just in case you haven't spent enough time on your computer today, when you should be celebrating, WCAX has a list of New Year related items in their "Holiday Helper", such as "How to clean stains after New Year's Eve parties", "Non-alcoholic New Year's Even punch", "Top 10 ways to stick to your resolutions this year", and much more. These aren't so much "local" events as they are general "tips" articles, but I've got to hand it to them for some clever content marketing!
So how do you plan to celebrate? Let us know in the comments below, especially if I left anything out - I'll try to update this post.
***UPDATES***
Montpelier Alive has details about what's going on in the state's capital this evening. A 5k road race, a ball, food and drinks and concerts will all be part of "New Year's Eve in Montpelier".
