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New Year’s Eve roundup: Best bets for ringing in the new year

Jessica Cabe
jcabe@postindependent.com
There are countless local options for celebrating New Year's Eve no matter what kind of experience you're looking for.
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No matter what town you live in, there’s no shortage of options for celebrating New Year’s Eve. In fact, the bigger problem may be choosing just one place to spend the holiday.

The first step in planning your night out is to decide what kind of experience you’re looking for. Do you want to bar hop? Spend time with your family? Have a classy, romantic night out with your partner? No matter what version of New Year’s Eve celebrations you’re after, this guide from Basalt to Rifle has you covered.

Bar and dining



You don’t have to find the most unique event to have a great time on New Year’s Eve; sometimes hitting up a bar (or two, or three…) offers the most fun.

If you plan on staying around Basalt, your best bet is Heather’s New Year’s Eve Extravaganza Dance Party at Heather’s Savory Pies and Tapas Bar. For $20 per person, $35 per couple or $10 per person with a dinner reservation, enjoy a champagne toast, party favors, heated deck dance floor and more. Choose from seatings at 6, 6:30, 8:30 and 9 p.m. if you’d like dinner, or show up at 9:45 p.m. when the dance party starts. Call 970-927-0151 for reservations and more information.



In Carbondale, check out Marble Distillery’s New Year’s Eve at the Marble Bar, featuring a balloon drop and complimentary toast at midnight. You can enjoy fine craft spirits while you dance to DJ Benny from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Cover is $20 per person, and you can also call 970-063-7008 to reserve a table.

Redstone residents and visitors can enjoy a New Year’s Eve dinner and music at the Redstone Inn from 5:30 p.m. to midnight. Cover is $20 per person, and Whiskey Stomp will perform starting at 9:45 p.m. Dinner reservations are also available for $225 per couple, featuring a shared appetizer, one salad each, one entree each, shared dessert and champagne or pear mimosas. Call 970-963-2526 for more information.

Have a roaring good time in Glenwood at K Seas Wing House on Grand Avenue during its Roaring ’20s New Year’s Eve party. Dress up in your best Roaring ’20s outfit and enjoy food, drinks, dancing with two DJs, free champagne at midnight—all with no cover. The party starts at 9 p.m.

In New Castle, head to Chapman’s Pub for its New Year’s Eve Mardi Gras Masquerade Party. Get a free drink with an appetizer while you enjoy live music from 4AM, and finish the night off with a free breakfast. Tickets are $25, and it’s recommended that you purchase them in advance by calling 970-984-7249 or stopping by in person.

If you’d like to stay a little farther west, celebrate at Big Kids Corner Bar in Rifle with a balloon drop and free champagne toast at midnight. One balloon is even filled with a cash prize, which is one way to start the new year right. Other prizes include a Bud Light cooler and grill set. The fun lasts from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Keep it classy

If you and your honey are looking for a fancier night out, your best bet is the New Year’s Eve party at the Riviera Supper Club in Glenwood Springs. This celebration features fine food (the prix fixe menu can be viewed online at http://www.rivieraglenwood.com), wine, cocktails, music and dancing in the heart of downtown Glenwood. Three seatings are offered (4:45 p.m., 6:45 p.m. and 9 p.m.), and reservations are required. The dinner costs $75 per person or $85 to have each course paired with wine. Call 970-945-7692 for reservations and more information.

Family fun

Sometimes the best way to celebrate New Year’s Eve is to spend it with family, and Glenwood Springs offers the best opportunities.

New Year’s Eve happens to be the last day of Winter on the Mountain at Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park, so it’s the perfect opportunity to enjoy more than half a million lights, a warming hut decorated as the North Pole, fire pits for roasting s’mores, a giant Christmas tree with a light show choreographed to music, lighted thrill rides and more. Winter on the Mountain is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and live music from Cellar Door begins at 4:30 p.m. The only cost is the tram ride: $10 for children 3-12 and $15 for adults.

After a little lit-up fun on the mountain, don’t miss the Glenwood Vaudeville Revue’s New Year’s Eve show. There are two performances to choose from: the first is from 4:30-8 p.m. ($35), and the second is from 9 p.m. to midnight ($50). These shows are specially priced and include one glass of champagne or one party favor at the end of the evening, and any additional food or beverages cost extra. This family-friendly show has become a holiday tradition for many locals, and New Year’s Eve is the perfect time to experience it.

Speaking of tradition, the Glenwood Hot Springs Pool will again host its annual New Year’s Eve celebration from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. This alcohol- and substance-free event features pool games and activities from 7-11 p.m., a countdown to midnight and the opportunity for one lucky attendee to win an annual pool pass. Admission is standard: $21.50 for teens and adults 13 and older, $13.50 for children 3-12 years old and free for children 2 and younger.

Celebrate all day

Maybe it doesn’t feel like New Year’s Eve done right unless you’re celebrating all day long. If that’s the case, Carbondale offers some daytime fun to get the most out of the holiday in addition to all of Glenwood’s family-friendly events.

First, stop by Roaring Fork Beer Co. for its New Year’s Eve Bowl Game Brunch with SILO. Enjoy chicken and waffles by SILO beginning at 1 p.m., $5 make-your-own micheladas (bloody beer), $5 beermosas and some great company while you watch Washington vs. Alabama in the Peach Bowl. There’s no cover, which means there’s also no reason not to swing by.

Later, attend the New Year’s Eve Compassion Potluck from 5:30-7 p.m. at the Third Street Center. Learn about Chenrezig meditation and purification practice, a visualization practice where you use Chenrezig as your “guide to develop sincere and profound compassion for all sentient beings and to purify negative karma and obstacles.” Bring an offering of food that will be blessed during the ritual and shared afterward.

For even more New Year’s Eve options, check the Post Independent calendar of events.


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