New Year's Eve in San Francisco is all about huge balls, multi-media extravaganzas, posh private parties and fireworks over the Bay. But you don't have to spend the evening in high heels or a cummerbund. There are ways to get out into the fresh night air and enjoy the celebration without all the fuss.
Bike the Golden Gate
Bring your honey or a group of pals and cycle out onto the Golden Gate Bridge. Be there when the fireworks start to pop. Carry along your own bubbly to raise a glass, or watch serenely and make wishes for a healthy and happy new year while the Bay lights up. Bicycles are allowed on the bridge 24 hours each day. Expect a brisk 1.7-mile ride across the bridge on December 31.
Kayak Under the Fireworks
An unforgettable vantage point for the fireworks is on the Bay in a kayak. City Kayak escorts about 30 kayakers out in the dark for a loop through McCovey Cove and a front row seat near the barges for the display. Reserve early, as there are a limited number of kayaks available. The guides lead the way in a powerboat with the champagne on ice and ready for you.
Ring a Bell at the Asian Art Museum Bell
A 2,100-pound bell hangs in San Francisco's Asian Art Museum. The 16th-century Japanese bronze bell came from a temple in the Tajima Province. For more than 24 years San Franciscans have waited in line for a turn to ring the giant bell before midnight. A log is swung at the bell 108 times to welcome the New Year and gong away negative energies. The event is free with museum admission; kids under 12 get in free. Japanese folk songs are often sung and there is a blessing from a Buddhist priest.
Seafood and Fireworks on Fisherman's Wharf
If you are going to Fisherman's Wharf to watch the fireworks, celebrate the New Year with a healthy seafood dinner while you are there. Cultures all over the world eat seafood on New Year's Eve for good luck and a prosperous year. The Danes, Poles, Chinese, Germans and Scandinavians all do it. So pick a good seafood restaurant and suck down some oysters, munch on herring or try a nice snapper. Then stroll out to get a spot for the show.
Dance and Masquerade All Night at the Symphony
On any other night you might think it was a weird dream if you were wearing a mask and dancing on the stage of Davies Symphony Hall. But on New Year's Eve, the San Francisco Symphony hosts a celebratory concert with lavishly costumed singers and dancers. Then they break out the champagne and sweets, give everyone a mask and the dancing begins. Waltz, fox trot or hustle around the lobbies, on stage and just about anywhere you want to boogie. A balloon drops at midnight and, of course, all sing Auld Lang Syne before the dancing continues.
Member Comments