Top
10 Spots for New Year's Eve 2005 |
CHICAGO
Illinois, USA: Bash at Buckingham Fountain
 When
it comes to New Year's Eve, Chicago is our kind of town. Bundle up and head for Buckingham
Fountain in Grant Park. Recorded classical music
kicks off the festivities at 10 p.m. The payoff
for freezing your derriere off? Midnight fireworks
casting their reflections onto Lake Michigan. Countdowns
also take place at Navy Pier and the Lincoln Park
Zoo—the latter starts early for those with
little ones. If you want to get a jump on your resolution
to lead a healthier life, join the United for Peace
athletes for a 5K run at the Heartland
Café at 8 p.m. |
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EDINBURGH
Scotland: Go Hog Wild at Hogmanay
 Hogmanay!
While this sounds like an event Harry Potter and
his cohorts might attend, it is in fact a true-life
New Year's Eve festival held far north of Hogwarts.
This four-day celebration features street theater,
live music, an impressive torchlight parade and
the burning of a Viking boat. On the actual eve,
nearly 100,000 people don flamboyant Hogmanay
hats and gather in Princes Street for the Hogmanay
Street Party. Fireworks are launched from seven
locations, including Arthur's seat. Insider tip:
Calton Hill has views of five different firework
displays. |
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ORLANDO
Florida, USA: Explore
the Magic Kingdom
 By
selecting Orlando for this list, what we actually mean is Walt Disney
World. The happiest universe unto itself provides
something sassy for everyone. Check out rock band
Cheap Trick at Downtown Disney's 21-and-older street
party, or take in a parade and early fireworks at
the family-friendly Magic Kingdom; big band music,
Latin dancing and an Auld Lang Syne finale are just
a few of the highlights at Epcot; and a new fireworks
show is featured at Disney-MGM Studios. But if you
really want something explosive, treat yourself
to Cirque du Soleil's La Noube, with a
special ending created just for this night. |
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PRAGUE
Czech
Republic: Old World Charm
 Stalls
selling mulled wine, a winter chill in the air
and the baroque architecture of the Old Town Square.
Surely, you can't imagine better trappings for
a traditional New Year's Eve. The streets of Prague fill with revelers, and fireworks spark at every
turn: consider yourself fair warned. The ultimate
firework show, though, is over Prague Castle and
the River Vltava. You can watch them from waterfront
restaurants, the Charles Bridge or even the castle.
For the ultimate view, hop a river cruise and
ring in the New Year in style. |
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ROME
Italy: Party in the Piazza
 If
you're not attending mass or ducking broken crockery
thrown out windows—one of those crazy Italian
tradition—you should make your way to Piazza
del Popolo, the site of the city's most notable
New Year's Eve festivities. Anchored by the beautiful
Renaissance church, Santa Maria del Popolo, the
square makes a captivating setting for locals
and tourists to gather for concerts and fireworks.
On New Year's Day, the piazza fills again, this
time with families. Mask making and acrobats keep
kids entertained while parents recuperate from
the night before. |
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SAN
FRANCISCO
California, USA: Dance Under the
Stars
 The
City by the Bay doesn't have a New Year's
Eve central, like New York's Times Square. But
it does know how to whoop it up, and visitors
will find countless celebrations to choose from.
The San Francisco Symphony is presenting a gala
at Davis Symphony Hall, and for those less cultured
types, Gordon
Biersch is throwing a bash at its Embarcadero
venue. In fact, anywhere on the water is where
you want to be, so you can catch the fireworks.
For fun, check out Pier 23 Café, with dancing
under the stars. Of course, no place beats the
dinner and dance party at Top of the Mark, on
the 19th floor of the InterContinental
Mark Hopkins Hotel. |
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ACAPULCO
Mexico: The Mexican Las Vegas
 We
cannot picture Prince Charles, Champagne flute
in hand, strutting down Acapulco’s Costera
to ring in the New Year. But in the 1920s the
Brits weren’t quite so reserved and it took
one Prince of Wales to put this seaside resort
on the radar of the international jet set. Even
today, all of our Mexican friends agreed that
Acapulco is the place to be on New Year’s
Eve. You’ll find a lot of revelers from
Mexico City in town—with the new Mexico-Acapulco
expressway, it’s just two hours by car to
this Pacific resort. Wherever you turn, the city
is one huge party, from the beaches to the legendary
clubs and discotheques. Most of the action is
bound to take place on the Costera, or Grand Boulevard,
of Acapulco. With temperatures in the high 80s,
the city sizzles on and off the party circuit,
but keep in mind that it’s been dubbed “The
Mexican Las Vegas.” So if you prefer more
sedate diversions, head for Guadalajara. |
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SHANGHAI
China: A Peaceful Ringing In
 Although
the western New Year is celebrated in major Chinese
cities, it is in fact the lunar New Year—which
falls on the first day of the first lunar month
(a date that changes annually on the Western calendar)—that
really matters. Why not try a little something
new, set debauchery aside, and head for Longhua
Temple and Park in the south of Shanghai this January 29. To literally ring in the New
Year, over 100 Buddhists strike the temple's five-ton
copper bell at midnight. Each stroke is said to
represent an earthly happiness. |
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VIENNA
Austria: Waltz into the New Year
 It's
not surprising that classical music is the highlight
of New Year's Eve in Vienna,
most notably the Vienna Philharmonic's performance
at Musikverein Hall. If you can't make it into
the night's other see and be scene event—the
Kaiserball at Hofburg Palace—console yourself
with dancing in the street. Along the New Year's
Eve trail that winds through the historic section
of the city, you can sip and nibble from street
stalls, and take an impromptu, al fresco dance
lesson, which you'll put to good use post-midnight,
during the public playing of the Blue Danube
Waltz. |
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WHISTLER,
B.C.
Canada: Wish upon a Whistler
 A
winter wonderland, with or without festivities,
Whistler hosts First Night, an annual New Year's
Eve street fair of live music, interactive arts
and street performances. This family-friendly,
alcohol-free event takes place throughout the
village and features an array of diverse attractions:
a kids' performance of Chibi Taiko (Japanese
drumming), African and Caribbean-inspired marimba
and lots of crafts. Make a lantern or party
hat, or contribute to the community 2010 quilt.
The romantic in you will be drawn to the Wishing
Chair, where you can make a wish for the upcoming
year. 
|
P113005 |
(Updated:
10/29/08 KR) |
|
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