New Year's Eve Activities in San Francisco

There are many things going on in San Francisco on New Year's Eve. At midnight there will be a free fireworks show along the waterfront. And then there are the parties - in hotels, in clubs, in bars, in restaurants, on yachts. At the Gift Center, at the Symphony, at the Civic Auditorium. Pretty much everywhere you turn, there will be another party. But if you hate parties, don't worry, because there are also lots of great alternatives.

Here are some of the highlights of San Francisco's New Year's Eve:

HOTELS

The Hyatt Regency in the Embarcadero Center

The Hyatt Regency party is the big one that they always show on TV on the local countdown to New Year's Eve programs. Thousands of people will attend. Multiple stages will be set up in the hotel's 17-story-high atrium lobby, and in the ballroom, on the concourse, and in other rooms. The line-up for this year includes a Motown dance party with the group Pride & Joy; a Latin trio; a DJ dance party and light show; and comedy. There will also be psychics, fortune tellers, and tarot card readers on hand to evoke a sense of the future. At midnight, there will be a dramatic balloon drop.

Tickets for the party are $125 per person, which includes two drink coupons, and can be purchased at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling (415)421-TIXS. An extra $50 will get you a VIP upgrade, which will allow you to enter a VIP Lounge or the rooftop Sky Lounge. The party runs from 8 PM to 1 AM, and the dress code is semi-formal.

There are also packages available for people who would like to stay overnight in the hotel. Packages cost between $644 and $749 for two people, and include tickets to the New Year's entertainment, a deluxe room, and a breakfast buffet in the morning.

Other San Francisco hotels that are having New Year's Eve parties include the Canterbury Hotel, the Clift Hotel, the Fairmont, the Grand Hyatt (that's the other Hyatt, on Union Square), the Hilton, the Mark Hopkins, the Palace Hotel, the Ritz-Carlton, and the St. Francis.

SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY

If elegance and class are your style, consider attending the Symphony's New Year's Eve Gala. This year's festivities will include a concert of musical theater classics with Broadway star Brian Stokes Mitchell, dancing to the Peter Minton orchestra on stage and to Soul University in the lobby, party favors, champagne, savories, and desserts, and a balloon drop at midnight. Tickets are $95 to $160 per person. Special dinner packages are also available. Order tickets online, or call (415) 864-6000.

GORDON BIERSCH

If you are looking for a younger, hipper crowd, consider the party at the brewery/restaurant Gordon Biersch. It's on the waterfront and will be a great place to watch the fireworks. Drink as much as you can; your first six drinks will be free, and any after that will be only $1 apiece. There will be music and dancing on two levels, with DJs spinning hip hop, reggae, R&B, old school classics, and house. Tickets are $155.00 per person if purchased before December 5. The price goes up to $170 on December 5, and $180 on December 10. Tickets must be purchased on the event website.

Don't like noisy parties or rowdy crowds? Don't want to spend hundreds of dollars for a single evening's entertainment? Here are some great alternatives:

Attend a free organ concert in a huge cathedral

Grace Cathedral, the third-largest Episcopal Cathedral in the country, will be having a New Year's Eve concert at 11 PM which is free and open to the public. David Hegarty, who plays the organ in the Castro theater, will perform music from the great film composers and light orchestral pieces.

After the concert, attendees will sing Auld Lang Syne and at midnight, the carillon will ring.

The Cathedral is located at 1100 California St., at Taylor St., on top of Nob Hill.

Take a hike!

The Sierra Singles section of the San Francisco Bay Sierra Club is having a Mystery Hike on New Year's Eve along "secret urban walkways." It's a "2B" hike, which means it's six to ten miles long with an elevation gain of 1,000 to 2,000 feet. There will be optional fireworks viewing after the hike.

To gain admittance to this hike, you must subscribe to the SF Sierra Singles newsletter. A year's subscription, via email, costs $20 for Sierra Club members and $30 for non-members. Each month, about 50 activities are listed, most of which are free. Sierra Singles membership is open to anyone over 21, with most subscribers being in their late 20s to early 50s.

Paddle a kayak!

This may be the most unusual and memorable way to spend New Year's Eve ever! Take an hour-and-a-half kayak trip on the Bay and watch the midnight fireworks show close up. For $68 per person, City Kayak provides all your gear including a stable touring kayak and jacket and mittens, a quick paddle lesson and instructions, guides, an escort power boat, and a sparkling water or champagne toast. Participants must have some previous kayaking experience.

Whatever you decide to do on New Year's, have a happy one!