Celebrate New Year’s
By Jeff Eason

Some people like to celebrate New Year’s Eve at home in their pajamas, waiting to watch the clock tick away on the year on television. Other people like to go out for a scrumptious dinner at a restaurant. Still others like to party like it’s 1999…or 2007 or 2008, and revel with their friends way past the midnight hour.

Whatever your New Year’s Eve style, there’s a place for doing it here in the High Country. Area restaurants and clubs have a wide variety of methods of celebrating New Year’s this coming Monday night.

Here’s a look at some elegant, exciting, effervescent and emotional ways you can spend New Year’s Eve in the High Country this week. All events are scheduled for Monday evening unless otherwise indicated.

Chetola Resort
Chetola Resort’s Manor House Restaurant will host a special New Year’s Eve Dinner and Late Night Party. For more information, call (828) 295-5505.

Appalachian Ski Mountain
Appalachian Ski Mountain’s annual New Year’s Eve Celebration hits the slopes Monday evening, Dec. 31. The event will include the torchlight parade down the mountain plus fireworks at midnight. Ice skating and a New Year’s breakfast are available during the festivities. Call 1-800-322-2373 or visit www.appskimtn.com for more information.

Lost Ridge at the Library
The Library Restaurant and Pub will host a New Year’s Eve party featuring the rip-roaring bluegrass of Lost Ridge. The night will include party favors and a midnight countdown. For more information, call (828) 262-5772.

Skiing at Sugar
The New Year’s celebration at Ski Sugar in Banner Elk will include night skiing until 10 p.m. and a torchlight parade and fireworks at midnight. Reservations are encouraged. For more information, call Ski Sugar at (828) 898-4521.

Fireworks at Beech Mtn.
The Beech Mountain Chamber of Commerce will hold a midnight fireworks display to celebrate the New Year. You can choose to either watch them from Fred’s General Mercantile or from Ski Beech. For more information, call the Beech Mtn. Chamber at (828) 387-9283.

Solos Unit at Murphy’s
Murphy’s Restaurant and Pub in downtown Boone will host a New Year’s Eve Party featuring the funky music of Winston-Salem’s Solos Unit. The band will bring its fabulous horn section for this all-out show and perform songs from the new album Electric City. The music starts around 10 p.m. and the party features a toast at midnight. For more information, call (828) 264-5117.

DJ Small Wonder at Boone Saloon
The Boone Saloon will host a New Year’s Eve bash featuring Puerto Rican sensation DJ Small Wonder. The music starts at 10 p.m. For more information, call (828) 264-1811.

Twigs New Year’s Eve Party
Twigs Restaurant and Bar in Blowing Rock will hold a New Year’s Eve Party featuring live music by Deck 51. The event includes a champagne toast at midnight and no cover charge. Twigs is also offering a special New Year’s dinner earlier in the evening featuring five courses and champagne. For reservations or further information, call (828) 295-5050.

Possum Jenkins at Canyons
Canyons of the Blue Ridge in Blowing Rock will bring in the New Year with a special party featuring the electric Americana stylings of Possum Jenkins. The show starts at 10 p.m. and admission is $10 per person and includes a French champagne toast at midnight. For more information, call (828) 295-7661.

Banana Da Terra
Sway the night away with the cool Brazilian jazz tones of the musical trio Banana Da Terra. The band will be playing during dinner, 5:30 to 9:30, at the Sirius Restaurant and Dawg Star Bar of the Crestwood Inn on Shulls Mill Road. The evening will feature a special menu and reservations are encouraged. For more information, call (828) 963-1417.

Café Portofino in Boone
Café Portofino will have the televisions on in the Tap Room to count down the seconds until the New Year, but is urging its customers to join them for a low key celebration with no cover charge. It’s just fun, games and good conversation as always at the Port. For more information, call (828) 264-7772.

Macado’s at Midnight
Macado’s Restaurant and Pub in downtown Boone will hold a big New Year’s bash with noise makers, party favors and a champagne toast at midnight. The restaurant will serve beer and food until 2 a.m. and play modern pop music from satellite radio for your listening pleasure. Join the gang at Macado’s to watch the ball-drop from Times Square on their giant big-screen television set. For more information, call (828) 264-1375.

Bayou Smokehouse & Grill
The Bayou Smokehouse and Grill in Banner Elk will host a New Year’s Eve party with party favors, door prizes and drink specials. For more information, call (828) 898-8952.

Best Cellar
The Best Cellar Restaurant in Blowing Rock will feature its regular menu on New Year’s Eve, but it is always a popular early evening destination for revelers looking for great food before partying. Reservations are encouraged. For more information, please call (828) 295-3466.

Frasers in West Jefferson
Frasers in West Jefferson will host a New Year’s Eve dinner special featuring a variety of entrees such as salmon filet topped with crabmeat, bistro steak medallions and lobster tail and slow-roasted prime rib. Dinners include salad, rolls, potato, vegetables, dessert and beverage. Dinner is $40 per person (not including tax and gratuity). Later that evening Frasers will host a New Year’s Eve party with live music by Victoria. For information or to make reservations, call (336) 246-5222.

Pssghetti’s at New Years
Pssghetti’s, an authentic Italian restaurant in Blowing Rock, will host a gala celebration on New Year’s Eve. Reservations and information are available by calling (828) 295-9855.

Zuzda’s New Years
Zuzda’s on Main Street in Banner Elk will hold a New Year’s gala starting at 9 p.m. featuring the live music of Murphy and Main (covers and originals) upstairs in the club. The event will feature free hors d’oeuvres, party favors, and a champagne toast at midnight. The party lasts until 2 a.m. and admission is $10 per person. For more information, call (828) 898-4166.

Corner Palate Celebration
The Corner Palate in Banner Elk will host a New Year’s Eve party featuring the live reggae/rock of The Mark Evangelist Band from Charlotte. The event is free and will include party favors and a champagne toast at midnight. For more information, call (828) 898-8668.

Gamekeeper New Year’s
The Gamekeeper Restaurant on Shulls Mill Road will feature an eight-course menu for New Year’s Eve. The meal will include winter squash and shrimp bisque, beau soleil oyster on the half shell baked with spinach and cheese, seared quail breast over blood orange and cucumber salad, espresso-crusted wapiti elk carpaccio, a sorbet trio, cumin-crusted lamb rack with golden chanterelle mushrooms, braised buffalo short ribs with butternut squash, and red velvet cake with Courvoisier ice cream. The meal is $85 per person plus tax and gratuity and seatings are until 10:30 p.m., with the last seating featuring a free champagne toast. The bar will be open until 2 a.m. For more information, call (828) 963-7400 or visit www.gamekeeper-nc.com.

Party at Six Pence
The Six Pence Pub in downtown Blowing Rock will feature dinner specials with black-eyed peas for good luck in the New Year. After dinner join your friends at one of the coziest bars in the High Country for a champagne toast at midnight. Dinner is served until 10:30 p.m. and bar is open until 2 a.m. For more information, call (828) 295-3155.

Vidalia’s New Year’s Dinner
After only two years, Vidalia in Boone has become a New Year’s dinner tradition for many folks in the High Country. This year dinner will be served from 5 to 9 p.m. with a number of specials including lobster. A champagne toast at Vidalia is a great way to start your New Year’s Eve revelry. For reservations or further information, call (828) 2639176.

Jackalope’s View
Jackalope’s View at Archer’s Inn on Beech Mountain Will serve a special New Year’s Eve dinner from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. The dinner includes Hoppin’ John soup, choice of salad, entrée (rack of lamb, filet mignon, fennel-crusted grouper, braised pork shoulder or seafood cannelloni), and dessert. Reservations are required. Call (828) 898-9004 for details.

Ciao Bello at the Meadowbrook Inn
Blowing Rock’s Ciao Bello Restaurant at the Meadowbrook Inn will feature dinner from 6 to 10 p.m. with live classical guitar music by Richard Easley. The Lounge will be open until 2 a.m. and will feature live music by classic rock guitarist Holden Bare. The event will feature party favors and a champagne toast at midnight. There is no cover charge for this event. For more information, or to make reservations, call (828) 295-6832.

Party at Nick’s
Nick’s Restaurant and Pub in the Tynecastle Shopping Centre (Banner Elk) will host a New Year’s Eve Party with live music starting at 9 p.m. The band The Rox Trio will play all of your old-time classic rock and roll favorites and Nick’s will feature a breakfast buffet. There will also be party favors and a champagne toast at midnight. Admission is $10 and guests must be 21 or older. For more information, call (828) 898-9613.

Bistro Roca & Antlers Bar
Bistro Roca and Antlers Bar in Blowing Rock will serve some New Year’s dinner specials in the restaurant until 10 p.m. Antlers Bar will have party favors and a midnight champagne toast. For more information, call (828) 295-4008.

Casa Rustica
Italian restaurant Casa Rustica will feature two dinner seatings for its special New Year’s Eve meal. The first starts at 5 p.m. and features jumbo lump crab appetizers, choice of salad, choice of five entrees, choice of two desserts plus glass of wine for $50 per person. The second seating starts at 8 p.m. and features all of the above plus glass of champagne and live music from the Todd Wright Jazz Quartet. The second seating costs $60 per person. For more information or to make reservations, call (828) 262-5128.

Blackboard
The Blackboard Restaurant in Banner Elk offers a New Year’s Eve package for $150 per couple which includes a five-course dinner and champagne. Rude Mood will provide live music. For more information, call (828) 898-2321.

Off the Mountain
4th Annual Family Circus
Guitarist Larry Keel and his band, Natural Bridge, will host the 4th Annual Mountain Music Family Circus at the Grey Eagle Music Hall in Asheville on Dec. 31. The event will feature performances by the Jeff Sipe Trio, Steve “Big Daddy” McMurray, the Harwell Grice Band and the Keel Brothers Band. The event is part of the God Tidings Food Drive and attendees are asked to donate two cans of food at the door for the Asheville Manna Food Bank. The music starts at 8 p.m. and tickets are $30 per person. Tickets are on sale now at www.thegreyeagle.com.

Murder Mystery
The Matthews Playhouse Musical Theatre Company will celebrate New Year’s Eve with an old fashioned murder mystery at the Matthews Community Center. The audience will take part in this whodunit and the evening will include traditional holiday music and lots of fun. Tickets are $10 per person and the murder mystery is suitable for ages 8 and up. Tickets and further information are available by phone at (704) 372-1000.

Avett Brothers at Belk Theater
American roots music superstars and North Carolina darlings the Avett Brothers will bring their energetic stage show to the Belk Theater in Charlotte for a special New Year’s extravaganza.
Call for the availability of tickets at (704) 372-1000.

Perpetual Groove
The Neighborhood Theatre in Charlotte will host a massive New Year’s Eve party featuring psychedelic rockers Perpetual Groove. Sometimes called “trance arena rock,” Perpetual Groove concerts are noted for their incredible light shows. Advance tickets are $40. For more information, call (704) 358-9298 or visit www.neighborhoodtheatre.com.