St. Petersburg, located on Florida's west coast just south of Tampa, is a budget-friendly destination with plenty of New Year's Eve activities for kids and adults. First Night St. Petersburg is the city's annual New Year's Eve celebration, dating to 1993. This alcohol-free outdoor event allows guests to take in Florida's warm December temperatures while watching live music, dance and entertainment performances. Magicians and petting zoos will entertain younger guests as well as hourly fireworks displays leading up to midnight. Visitors purchase $10 First Night buttons, which give them access to all of the night's events. The city offers several free parking garages during the event. Or visitors can stay at a number of downtown St. Petersburg hotels, which offer nightly rates under $100, that are within walking distance of the First Night events.
First Night of St. Petersburg
360 Central Ave.
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
727-823-8906
firstnightstpete.com
County-music fans looking for a memorable and inexpensive way to see in the New Year can visit the Music City, Nashville, Tenn. The city hosts an annual New Year's Eve party in the heart of downtown. This free street party features a number of performances throughout the evening, starting at 7:30 until the clock strikes midnight. In 2010, the Bash on Broadway featured artists such as Rodney Atkins, The Dirt Drifters and Gabe Nixon. Visitors can count down to the new year by watching the city's guitar drop, followed by a New Year's fireworks display. The Bash on Broadway is within walking distance to many downtown Nashville hotels.
Bash on Broadway
1st Avenue and Broadway
Nashville, TN 37201
866-584-MUSIC
visitmusiccity.com
New Year's revelers looking to ring in the new year in a creative and budget-friendly way can travel to Louisville, Kentucky and board the historic Belle of Louisville steamboat. For $55 a person in 2010, Louisville visitors can enjoy a three-hour cruise down the Ohio River, from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. This ticket includes an h'ors d'oeuvres buffet, champagne toast, party favors and entertainment, a price far cheaper than other lavish New Year's Eve celebrations. The boat docks in downtown Louisville's Fourth Street Wharf, placing visitors near more than a dozen downtown hotels.
Belle of Louisville
401 W. River Road
Louisville, KY 40202
502-574-2992
belleoflouisville.org
New Year's Eve revelers on the West Coast can head to Portland, Ore., for a festive, inexpensive celebration. Those looking for a traditional night on the town to ring in the New Year can do so on a budget with Portland's Barfly Magazine event. For just $30, partiers can hop onto one of 10 buses that take them to bars to ring in the New Year. The ticket price includes transportation, a midnight champagne toast, h'ors d'oeuvres, cover charges at all bars and party favors. The bus tour is for adults 23 and up, and it runs from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. on New Year's Eve.
