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Ten places to ring in 2012 in Eagle County

Caramie Schnellcschnell@vaildaily.com
Special to the Daily
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Yahoo! Some of Vail’s New Year’s Eve events – the torchlight parade/fireworks, the First Night Family Party at Adventure Ridge and finally the Club Dobson dance party – caught the eye of the folks at Yahoo who listed Vail as one of the “Top 10 New Year’s Eve Celebrations” along with NYC, Atlanta, Vegas, New Orleans and more. The best part, though? We were the only ski town listed.Every bar, movie theater, bowling alley and restaurant in town has some sort of New Year’s Eve celebration to offer this year. And for good reason: Most everyone wants in on the “Auld Lang Syne” sway-about, where happy, champagne-soaked people filled with hope for a happy 2012 put their arms around each other and sing the obscure lyrics the late Scottish poet Robert Burns left us. For more on that, see Sunday’s High Life cover.Here’s our own, completely subjective, top 10 listing of the top New Year’s Eve celebrations. There are plenty to choose from (for a full listing, visit http://www.vaildaily.com), but these were the options that caught our eye.Cheers!

Vail NYE 2012 at Club DobsonAll adults ages 18 and up are invited to ring in the new year with DJ Logic and Golden b mixing top 40, dance, house, hip-hop and the best of the rest on Vail’s largest dance floor at Dobson Arena, which transforms into Club Dobson from 8 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Tickets range from $75 to $250. Purchase in-person at the Market Place Box Office in Vail Village, Last Course Desert Bar & Pastries in the Riverwalk in Edwards or at the Vail Dobson Arena Box Office. They also are available at VailNYE.com or by calling 970-845-8497.First Night Party atop Vail MountainAfter watching eye-and-ear sensory overload with the Torchlight Parade and Fireworks at Golden Peak in Vail, trek the whole family over to Lionshead and head up the gondola to Adventure Ridge for the First Night Party, taking place from 7 to 10 p.m. The gondola ride and select activities, like outdoor games, music and crafts, are free, and packages will be available to purchase discounted dinner and activities (tubing, bungee trampoline, etc.) to keep the fun going. Visit http://www.vail.com.

New Year’s Eve Family Carnival in Beaver CreekThe New Year’s Eve Family Carnival at Beaver Creek takes place at McCoy’s, at Gerald R. Ford Hall near the base of the Centennial Express Lift #6 from 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. Spend New Year’s Eve with the whole family. The carnival features live entertainment, games, raffle prizes and more. All ages welcome. There will be adult beverages and children’s “mocktails.” Music provided by DJ Shannon Tanner and the Vail Performing Arts Academy’s teen band “Awaken Annie.” Adults $45, teens (13-20) $25 and kids (3-12) $15. Visit http://www.beavercreek.com. Rusty Z at Back Bowl in EagleLaughter is good for the soul. So why not laugh your way into the New Year at the Back Bowl in Eagle tonight? Comedian and hypnotist Rusty Z returns to Eagle tonight. Expect rapid hypnotic inductions. His family-friendly show is always in good taste and nobody is ever embarrassed, except maybe the skeptics who didn’t “believe” in hypnotism before the show started. The laughs start at 8:30 p.m. and should go until around 10:30 p.m. Tickets are $20. Call 970-328-BOWL or visit http://www.thebackbowl.com.



New Year’s Eve at the Sandbar in West VailThe Sandbar will host a slew of local musicians tonight. Dubbing themselves “The Wolfpack,” Dave Perron, Scotty Kabel, Jeff Armistead, Joe Bianchi and Jake Wolf will perform starting around 8 p.m. The cover charge is $10 and gets you free champagne for a midnight toast. Expect party favors and drink specials galore. Call 970-476-4314.

‘Fire on the Mountain’ at BearfishThe second annual “Fire on the Mountain” party takes place at Bearfish Bar & Grill in West Vail. The Dead Rednecks will perform with guests starting at 10 p.m. And here’s the best part: Hawaiian shirt attire is recommended. The kitchen will close at 9 p.m. Call 970-476-7596.Sloppy Mountain String Band andBoneless at Kirby’s in MinturnKirby Cosmo’s celebrates both its 5th anniversary, and 2012, tonight. That’s a lot of celebrating packed into one night. Sloppy Mountain String Band starts at 9 p.m. and Boneless will finish out the night. Every attendee gets a raffle ticket at the door and Kirby’s staff will give away prizes like a float trip with Minturn Anglers, gift certificate to Sticky Fingers, a tune at Minturn Tune Shop, and more. Call 970-827-9027.Agave’s ‘Keep it Real’ party in AvonAgave in Avon hosts a “Keep It Real” party. DJ Psychonaut, the resident DJ at Samana Lounge in Vail for many years, will spin everything from hip hop to rock, and funk to electronic. Doors open at 9:30 p.m. There’s no cover charge and $1 draft beers until 11:30 p.m. Call 970-748-8666.Hardscrabble at Main St. Grill in EdwardsMain St. Grill in Edwards celebrates a new year with local bluegrass band Hardscrabble. The music starts at 10 p.m. and the show is free. Call 970-926-2729.Great Divide in EagleThe Great Divide Band will perform a mix of classic hits and original songs tonight at the Grand Avenue Grill in Eagle. The band just released a new album, “The Mississippi Mile,” and have played for more than a decade with world-renowned recording artist John Oates. The music starts at 8 p.m. Designated drivers available. Regular dinner menu served all night. Call 970-328-4043.


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