Every year a quarter of a million people line up along the Embarcadero, San Francisco's coastline roadway. The New Year's Eve fireworks are shot off from Pier 14, which is at the end of Mission Street. The whole family can enjoy this event and it's alcohol free. The entire event is free of charge, in fact, so it's a good idea to arrive early. Fireworks start at the stroke of midnight.
Many restaurants and hotels offer special drink menus, set-rate dinner menus or buffets, hors d'oeuvres menus, live music, dancing, party favors and a champagne toast at midnight. Classics include Carnelian by the Bay (carnelianbythebay.com) and Westin St. Francis (westinstfrancis.com). Waterfront hotels offer the added bonus of a view of the city's fireworks display, such as the Hyatt Regency at the Embarcadero Center (sanfranciscoregency.hyatt.com).
It might seem as though more nightclubs than people exist in San Francisco, but somehow the clubs are packed with party-goers. Wild themes, DJs, multiple dance floors, open bars and a midnight champagne/red bull toast seem to be the norm. Check out SF NYE Ball at San Francisco's City Hall, Streets of San Francisco at the Fort Mason Festival Pavilion (fortmason.org), Sin City at Roe (roe-sf.com), a themed black tie event at the Julia Morgan Ballroom (juliamorganballroom.com) and the Mother of All New Year's at the Regency Ballroom.
Want to take in a show for New Year's Eve? Choose from concerts, old films, circus performances, cabarets, theater or the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Check out Sea of Dream's annual event at the Concourse Center (sfvenues.com), which has multi-stage performances and an art show. If you'd prefer comedy, look no further than "Not Your Normal New Year's Eve" stand-up comedy show at the Herbst Theatre (sfwmpac.org/herbst/ht_index.html).
New Year's Eve is one of the best nights to follow Mina Harker up Nob Hill for her Vampire Tour of San Francisco (sfvampiretour.com). If vampires aren't your thing, experience all the joys New Year's Eve in San Francisco has to offer on a cruise. Check out San Francisco's Belle New Year's Eve Cruise (alcatraz.us).
If you want to go in disguise, a masquerade ball may prove just the thing. Several take place around the city, most notably the San Francisco Symphony's annual event at the Davies Symphony Hall (sfsymphony.org).
The Asian Art Museum of San Francisco (asianart.org) invites you to strike a temple bell to ring in the New Year, just like the people of Japan do to rid the soul of the year's bad deeds. Celebrate this tradition at one of the largest Asian art museums in the western hemisphere.
Broad daylight fun happens at the Bay Area Discovery museum's (baykidsmuseum.org) annual "Noon Year's Eve," which starts at -- you guessed it -- noon. Count down to noon and party until the afternoon light.
The festivities don't stop at midnight in a city like San Francisco. Join in on the New Year's Day Football Alternative at SF Bay Whale Watching (sfbaywhalewatching.com). The Space Cowboys also host a 21 and up block party called Breakfast of Champions (spacecowboys.org), which is the perfect way to start the new year.
