15 New Years Eve What To Do’s
What To Do: New Years Eve: Here’s 15 NYE what to do’s for anyone who wants to get lost in a crowd, have a laugh, jam out, get away from it all, reflect on goodness, EAT!, or spend the afternoon with the kids.
White Plains New Year’s Eve Spectacular: It’s Times Square in White Plains with music, a ball drop and confetti and a fireworks show at midnight. The music starts at 10pm with a DJ and live music from Larger than Life’s “Ultimate Boyband Tribute” with songs from The Jackson 5, The Beatles, The Temptations, The Four Seasons, Backstreet Boys, Nsynch and more. Heineken USA provides free rides to residential destinations within Westchester County from their Safe Rides transportation stand on the corner of E. Post Road and Mamaroneck Avenue between 11 pm – 3 am. Wed, 12/31: 10-12:30pm. (Main St. between Court St. and Renaissance Square; www.wpbid.com)
Jim Norton, Mouthful of Shame Tour, Tarrytown Music Hall: co-host of the Opie with Jim Norton show on Sirius XM Radio (and formerly a regular on the Opie and Anthony Show) brings his black comedy and observational stand-up to Tarrytown for New Years Eve. Norton was a regular guest on Jay Leno and filmed a stand-up special for HBO’s One Night Stand. Sat, 12/31: 8pm. (13 Main St., Tarrytown; www.tarrytownmusichall.org)
Phish, Madison Square Garden – Thurs-Sun, 12/28-31: 7:30pm. Reigning champion of the jam bands, Phish, with Trey Anastasio returns to the Garden for four nights including New Year’s Eve. www.thegarden.com
Shadows of the 60’s Tribute to Motown, Paramount Hudson Valley, St, 12/31: 7 & 10pm: It’s a Motown New Year’s Eve at the Paramount as the 16 member cast of Shadows of the 60’s play the hits of The Supremes, The Four Tops, Temptations, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, The Marvelettes, Stevie Wonder and more. (Paramount Hudson Valley, 1008 Brown St., Peekskill; www.paramounthudsonvalley.com)
Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, Capitol Theatre, Fri-Sat, 12/30-31: 8pm: You know somebody’s going to be playing The Grateful Dead at the Capitol Theatre on New Year’s Eve. Joe Russo’s quintet play tight and “vicious” versions of some of the most complex songs in the Grateful Dead’s repertoire. (149 Westchester Ave., Port Chester; www.thecapitoltheatre.com)
Admiral’s New Year’s Eve Gala Fireworks Cruise: Hornblower Cruises offers three New Years Eve fireworks cruises all offering prime views of the city’s fireworks, skyline, dinner, dancing and open bar. Prices range from $250 a head for the Fireworks cruise with buffet dinner; $375 for a five course dinner on the lower deck of the Hornblower Hybrid on the Admiral’s Gala Cruise; $600 for the six course Premier Dinner Cruise with top shelf bar. Cruises run 3-3 1/2 hours from 9:00 or 9;30pm -1am (Pier 15, 78 South St., www.hornblower.com)
The Gift of The Magi – Schoolhouse Theatre – 12/15-1/8/17: With an 8pm show on 12/31. Adapted from the O. Henry Christmas love story, this new adaptation by Bram Lewis is set against a back drop of the immigrant streets of New York with all the wonder of the three wise men who gave us the first gifts of Christmas. There will be carols and cookies at intermission. Thurs-Sun: 12/15-18, 22-25 & 1/5-8:: 8pm, Sundays at 3pm. (Schoolhouse Theatre, 3 Owens Rd., Croton Falls: www.schoolhousetheater.org)
Hyper Local Events for Foodies
Sponsored: New Years Eve at Winston – A Celebration for lovers of food & music: There’s three ways to celebrate NYE at Winston. Go for their first seating at 6pm is a steal for just $65 a head for a three course dinner that includes your choice of starter: Crab Cakes with guacamole and smoky chipotle sauce or a Caprese salad with Burrata and basil pesto or a Kale & Arugula Salad with glazed walnuts and aged balsamic. The entrée choices are: Winston Brick Chicken with roasted fall veggies and lemon yogurt sauce; Fennel Crusted Salmon or Slide Hanger Steak with Yukons, Savoy cabbage and sweet soy glaze. There’s tiramisu or a trio of mini cheesecakes for dessert. The 9pm seating for $115 includes live music from Drew Bordeaux (in the genre of Ed Sheeran, Ben Harper & David Gray) and a champagne toast. Starting with: Hamachi Crudo with citrus/Yuzu; Shrimp Cocktail with gin infused chili sauce or Roasted Butternut Squash Salad. The entrees: Filet Mignon, potato gratin, oyster ‘shrooms, truffle infuse demi-glace; Pan Seared Halibut, Diver Scallops with roasted corn puree or Mushroom Pasta with fresh Casarecce and truffle mushroom Ragu. The dessert features the famous Dirty Winston that has all your faves from chocolate mousse and caramel cream to raspberry sorbet. PREPAID RESERVATIONS BY PHONE ONLY! Call 914.244.9780!!! Or the bar menu will be available for walk-ins … and you can hear Drew Bordeaux from the bar too! (Winston Restaurant, 130 East Main St., Mt. Kisco; www.winstonrestaurant.com)
Moderne Barn: Is offering a three-course prix fixe menu on NYE. The first seating (5:30-7:30pm) will only set you back $65. The second seating (8:30-11pm) includes a champagne toast at midnight for just $98 a head. The menu features a choice of 7 starters, 6 entrees and 8 desserts. It includes some of their most popular dishes such as Lobster Bisque and Nonna Meatballs or Mason Jar Foie Gras Mousse to start. The entrees: include a Thick Cut Pork Chop, Seafood Risotto, Grilled Salmon and Filet Mignon. And the sweet treat: Meyer Lemon Cheesecake, Saffron Coconut Rice Pudding (YUM), Cast Iron Brownie A La Mode and ice cream. (430 Bedford Rd., Armonk, 914.730.0001; www.modernebarn.com)
The Armonk House: They know how to party at The Armonk House. And they’ll be bringing in the band The Shaves to help out on NYE. You can check them out their 2012 album, Let It Go, on iTunes. They’ve got a little bit of that 80s power pop sound and the lead singer sounds like John Popper of blues Traveler. They travel up and down the Hutch playing from Hells Kitchen to the Central Park Boathouse and the lat MTK Tavern. They’re planning a special prix fixe menu for the evening. Music starts at 9pm. (111 Bedford Rd., Armonk, 914.219.5860; www.armonhouseny.com)
Bring the kids to these matinee events
The Magic Flute, Metropolitan Opera, 12/20-1/5/17: There’s a 12pm show on Fri, 12/30 … close enough. The Met’s English-language family adaptation of Mozart’s mystical journey, from Julie Taymor (The Lion King), is a new holiday tradition in the city. Young stars Janai Brugger and Ben Bliss are the fairy-tale princess and prince, and Christopher Maltman reprises his acclaimed interpretation of Papageno. Special holiday pricing and weekday matinees are available for this abridged version, conducted by Antony Walker. Check dates & times. (Metropolitan Opera, Lincoln Center: metopera.org)
Radio City Christmas Spectacular – Fri-Mon, 11/14-1/2/17: Two shows on 12/31 at 11:30am & 2pm. And three shows on jan 1 at 2, 5 & 8pm. The Rockettes (the older you get the more you appreciate them) float over the stage in the ‘Snow’ scene, perform the amazing domino tumble in the “Parade of the Wooden Soldiers”, ride the Gray Line through Manhattan, trek to the North Pole to help Santa, turn into a thousand Santa’s during “Santa Claus is Coming To Town“, and KICK, KICK, KICK until Santa arrives at Radio City Music Hall – the Art Deco showcase built by John D. Rockefeller during the Great Depression. Check dates & times. (1260 Ave. of the Americas, NYC: www.radiocitychristmas.com)
WTD Fave Rave: New York Botanical Garden’s Train Show – Sat, 11/19-Mon, 1/16/17: Open 12/31 from 10am-7pm. The New York Botanical Garden’s Holiday Train Show in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory features more than a dozen large scale model train sets (some super-sized) zipping across a quarter mile of track and a landscape of 140 scaled replicas of iconic New York City buildings made of bark, twigs, fruit, seeds and pine cones. Including, the original Penn Station and Yankee Stadium, Radio City Music Hall, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and the Brooklyn Bridge. An absolutely must do event – if you’ve never been. NYBG is open Tues-Sun & select Holiday Mondays: 10am-6pm. (2900 Southern Blvd. Bronx; www.nybg.org)
Local! Westchester’s Winter Wonderland, Kensico Dam Plaza – Fri, 11/25-Mon, 1/2: 5-10pm: Open on 12/31 from 5-10pm. There’s plenty of time to go to the circus and get back in time for the ball drop. Show times for The Royal Hanford Circus are 5:30, 6:30, 7:30 & 8:30. There’s more to do at Westchester Winter Wonderland including ice skating, a Musical Light Show, Candy Cane Lane and rides on the Wonderland Express, Holly Jolly Caterpillar and winter hay rides. There’s also holiday shopping, food and special events. 28 evenings beginning the day after Thanksgiving. Check dates. (Kensico Dam Plaza Park, 1 Bronx River Parkway, Valhalla; www.winterwonderland.com)
George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, New York City Ballet at Lincoln Center – 11/25-12/31: There’s a 2pm show on 12/31. Balanchine’s Nutcracker premiered at Manhattan’s City Center in 1954 and has been staged in New York every year since. It is the most famous staged production of the ballet set to Tchaikovsky’s legendary score in the US. The production features elaborate and grand stage elements, the most famous of which is the one-ton Christmas tree that grows from a height of 12 feet to 40 feet. There are 47 performances from Fri, 11/25-Sat, 12/31: check times. (62-65 St. at Columbus Ave., NYC; www.nycballet.com)
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