What is your town doing for New Years?

[la_chupa]

Specifically is it "family friendly" aka no alcohol?

I live in Charlotte. Once upon a time we had a real New Years party uptown. One year I was out of town and something happened. I don't recall the specifics but phrases like "hip hop crowd" were used and various accusations flew back and forth about crowd control and whose kids were worse, poor black kids or rich white kids.

all in all a very proud moment for the city

Then they called off the whole thing. I thought it was stupid because hey if New York can have New Years without it getting out of control then why in the world can't a city of less than 1M people pull it off.

Then a couple of years later it came back, they call it First Night and it's alcohol free. The thing is, I think the problem (real or imagined) was more about young kids throwing fire crackers at cars and they were all teenagers so I don't think the devil's fire water was the real issue.

I was just wondering what other cities are doing.

[Blue_In_AK]

1. Anchorage has an annual fire and ice party

at our town square on New Year's Eve from 5:00 to 8:00. There's ice skating, fire dancing, jugglers, bands, ice sculptures, all kinds of things, and it's definitely all-ages. At 8:00 there is a great fireworks display.

[madinmaryland]

3. I'm freezing just looking at that. Thankfully, we are in Florida where it will

be in the upper 60's on New Years eve!!

We'll keep the window open!

:D

[femmocrat]

2. Pittsburgh has a First Night celebration, too.

I've never gone, but there are tons of activities including early and late fireworks.

I live out in the sticks where there in absolutely nothing going on except yahoos with firecrackers.

[NNadir]

4. Speaking only for myself, I'm going down to the river and shelling Pennsylvania.

There's been a lot of tensions along the border, and I feel it's time for a pre-emptive strike to forstall their imperialist designs.

[fizzgig]

5. they do a first night thing here, too

there's no alcohol, but it's held in our historic district and there are are about 15 bars within a five or six block radius.

i've never gone, i've never had any desire to. i'm fine with just staying home.

[Brickbat]

6. I live in a rural area, but close enough to Lake Superior to hear the lakers blow their whistles at

midnight if they're around. It's a real treat.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

7. As usual, I'll be asleep before midnight

but it's possible the gunfire at midnight will wake me up.

New Years in Detroit.

:hi:

[la_chupa]

8. There is a town near here where they shoot off muskets

http://www.cherryvilleshooters.com/Events-News.php

I'm sure it's perfectly safe.

The Anchorage thing looks neat but really really COLD.

[sarge43]

9. Getting drunk and increasing profits at the body shops. n/t

[old mark]

10. Fucking freezing - will be in the mid 'teens, possible snow, freezing rain.

I expect anyone on the streets after 8PM to be a drunken yahoo.

But I'm old and expect that anyway.

mark