There are numerous Triangle restaurants and bars holding special New Year’s Eve dinners and celebrations. At this point you should probably have already made your reservations, but just in case here is a great list of restaurants that may be still taking reservations by Andrea Weigl at the News & Observer. In addition to eating and drinking here are the three local events that top my list for ringing in the new year!
Raleigh First Night
Celebrating its twenty-sixth year, First Night Raleigh is North Carolina’s largest New Year’s Eve celebration. Tens of thousands of people flock to downtown Raleigh for the family-friendly community celebration of art, presented by Artsplosure. The festivities will run from 2pm until midnight. With over 100 performances and activities in nearly 35 venues spread across downtown Raleigh. And of course the Acorn Drop and fireworks will cap off the event at midnight. All day admission passes are $10 in advance. For a complete schedule or more information, or to purchase an admission pass online, visit http://www.firstnightraleigh.com/
Chinese Lantern Festival & New Year’s Eve Fireworks
The N.C. Chinese Lantern Festival and Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary will light up the night with a New Year’s Eve fireworks display. Kicking off at 9:30 p.m. the fireworks will be launched over Symphony Lake. The fireworks display is included in the price of admission for the lantern festival. Tickets can be purchased through etix.com or Booth Amphitheatre Box Office. The Lantern Festival runs through January 15th with hours of 6 p.m. – 10 p.m. Fireworks will only be a part of the event on New Year’s Eve. http://boothamphitheatre.com/nc-chinese-lantern-festival-cary
Cinderella at DPAC
The touring production at Cinderella will be at the DPAC this weekend including an 8pm show on New Year’s Eve. You can catch the show and still go out afterwards in downtown Durham and toast the New Year. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by visiting https://www.dpacnc.com/events/detail/rodger-hammersteins-cinderella
The Triangle Explorer 