- Downtown St. Pete / I Love the 'Burg
As usual, there’s an insane variety of events ringing in the New Year. Here are six fun events to help you start 2014 just right.
In Tampa, an outer-limits cult sensation lands its UFO in Seminole Heights, Alabama sci-fi surf-rock band Man Or Astro-Man?, which headlines Ella’s Folk Art Cafe’s Annual New Year’s Eve Party with ska band The Apes (ellasfolkartcafe.com).
The Rooftop Eve: Cabaret En Rouge, one of Tampa’s swankiest New Year’s Eve parties, takes over the top level of the parking garage overlooking Hyde Park Village 9 p.m.-2 a.m.(therooftopeve.com).
Get lit for free on Clearwater Beach when Light It Up Clearwater, the community’s second annual NYE fireworks display, blasts off from the south end of the beach at midnight (lightitupclearwater.com).
For an earlier party, take your family to St. Pete’s First Night 2014 celebration, a huge mulit-venue event with fireworks at 8 p.m. and midnight, and loads of live music and entertainment throughout the city’s downtown. It all kicks off with “FirstKids” activities, and in Williams Park, the Warehouse Arts District Artists (WADA) will display illuminated sculptural lanterns. Much, much more. Visit firstnightstpete.com for a full schedule.
The usual All Good Tuesday night jams are boosted by live music and guest DJs during this spirited celebration of the New Year, with Florida Night Heat serving the usual drone, stoned n’ psychedelic-oozy rock n’ roll while Samurai Shotgun rips through an onslaught of their urgent funking hip hop. No cover to this NYE party. Free. Crowbar, 1812 17th St. N., Ybor City, 813-241-8600.
For a more distinctive NYE experience, you can ring in the New Year in Crawley family style and elegance at the Straz Center's Downton Abbey New Year's Eve Premiere Party. The evening includes live music, a themed menu, a Champagne toast at midnight and a sneak peek of season four of Downton Abbey. 1920s era attire is encouraged. Pre-show cocktail party is 7-8 p.m.; screening, 8-9:15 p.m.; New Years Eve festivities, 9:30 p.m.-1 a.m Regularly priced tickets are $125. Straz Center for the Performing Arts, 1010 N. MacInnes Place, Tampa, strazcenter.org.
For other NYE events, click here.
This article appears in Dec 26, 2013 – Jan 1, 2014.