Ring it in local: 22 awesome outings to celebrate New Year’s Eve around the Peninsula
Live it up super local with costume parties, comedy shows, dinner and dancing (plus early celebrations for the kids, too).
Well, Christmas insanity is now in the bag, which means that New Year’s Eve debauchery awaits as a hard-earned payoff for all the obligatory (and perhaps excruciating) time you just spent visiting with relatives. Yes, you made it! And no, unlike Christmas, absolutely no one expects you to spend New Year’s Eve with your wacky aunt and her super strange third husband. So live it up!
There are no shortage of upbeat NYE events here on the Peninsula and around the South Bay. So if — like us — you’re in the mood to stay local this year and skip the stress on traffic and parking (& “what-universe-are-we-in” prices), here’s a handy guide to 22 of the local hip happenings for ringing in 2020 around the area.
Find your wavelength, pick your party and embrace the new year…..
Something for the kiddos
If your kids haven’t reached the age where they can manage to keep their eyelids open until the midnight hour, there are a few Noon Year’s Eve celebrations to check out. San Carlos Library promises dancing, crafts, and a themed storytime while Happy Hollow Park & Zoo‘s entertainment includes dapper magician Dan Chan.
Early-to-bed types will also revel in Hiller Aviation Museum’s celebration. Entertainment will include a puppet circus, a Flight Sim Zone, The Wizard of Ahhs! Magic Show, among other options. It’s also prepared for not one, not two, but three balloon drops when the clock strikes twelve!
Dinner Date
The Touch Of Class Band will serenade diners who reserve their evening at Angelicas. Expect R&B, funk and all the old standbys as the group weaves vocal harmonies, a heavy horn section, and dazzling choreography into their performance.
Foodies will also appreciate the miso black cod or wagyu tenderloin at The Sea by Alexander’s Steakhouse in Palo Alto or empanadas at LV Mar.
Formal attire folks will feel right at home at Peninsula Italian American Social Club in San Mateo for an evening of Italian music, dancing, filet mignon, & lobster tail.
Or opt for patio dining at The Province, a high-end Asian fusion restaurant connected to Bay 101 Casino. But honestly, even if you don’t order anything, you’ll still have quite the night ahead. The spot is hosting Cirque New Year’s Eve San Jose which will unveil an upscale magic show, samba dancers, and circus acts.
Cos. Play.
Looking for a little costumed revelry? International New Years Eve Masquerade Ball 2020 will provide complimentary masks to compliment your cocktail attire. It’s bound to be a full evening with salsa, bachata, and Colombian music as well as shows, dancers and carnival performances.
Party goers will also don their masks at Barrelhouse’s Mardi Gras Masquerade. Enjoy an open bar, hors d’oeuvres, a champagne toast, and Patrick Maier’s suave songs.
Or chose to roar into the 20s with a Prohibition-era themed event hosted by Dragon Productions Theatre Company. You’re encouraged to show up in your flapper dresses and fedoras for a silent auction and aerial circus performances.
Dance, Dance, Dance
If you’re looking to spice things up, check out the sensual Latin dancing scene with MGD Productions. They’re offering a few opportunities around the Bay — so picture yourself in Cuba with some salsa or imagine you’re visiting the Dominican Republic with a bit of bachata.
Rock out to 80’s and 90’s hits at the Corinthian Grand Ballroom’s black tie event. Or sway to R&B numbers along with a barrel-aged beer at the Half Moon Bay Brewing Co for an earlier evening event.
Tortilla Soup Music Inc. is throwing a lively bash in San Jose featuring some live Latin R&B as well as a showcase of standup comedians (including Willie Barcena who made guest appearances on both Comedy Central and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno).
Bollywood and Hollywood collide at the BollyTadka New Year Party. Find your rhythm with a live dhol drum performance, before getting down to bhangra hip-hop beats and Bollywood remixes.
At the San Jose Marriott Hotel in downtown, you can celebrate with R&B group Club Noveau, hip-hop violinist Gareth Johnson, and three DJs.
Or make your way over to Club Fox to experience Neon Velvet. Described as combining the “sass and the glamour of the 80’s in a sweet embrace with today’s most potent pop artists,” this band will pull singles and couples alike onto the dance floor.
Low(er)-key kinda hangouts
If you’d prefer to ditch the ritz and glitz of parties, you have permission to push your sequined dresses and tuxes further back into the recesses of your closet and instead reach for your comfiest pair of jeans. Then head over to one of these low-key hangouts.
It’s going to be all fun and games at Dave & Busters in Milpitas with a dinner buffet and an entire arcade at your disposal. Because what better way to welcome in a new decade than with nostalgic blasts from the past like Pac Man and Skee-Ball?
At Bowlero, have fun knocking down pins like those New Years’ resolutions you’ll never keep. Your trip will include 4 hours of unlimited bowling, shoes, and a champagne/sparkling cider toast.
Warm up for the new year with Cuisines of The World: Vietnamese New Years on December 28th. Chef Steve Cortez will instruct on the creation of bánh mì sandwiches and crunchy rice paper tacos, integrating culture and culinary history along the way.
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