New Years Eve Celebrations in the Southwest U.S. - 2013

Enjoy a San Antonio New Years Eve on the River Walk

Enjoy the colorful and somewhat warmer southwest for your New Years Eve celebration in 2013. There are some fantastic New Years Eve celebrations in the beautiful Southwest that are fast becoming the place to be to ring in the New Year.

Arizona
Westgate Rocks Out in Glendale at the Westgate Entertainment District. The event grows every year. Adding to the atmosphere at Westgate is the Fountain Plaza with the huge dancing fountains. You can go from party to party. Restaurants such as Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville overlook Fountain Plaza and Calico Jack's will help keep the Margaritas flowing. Westgate website.

Head to Flagstaff, Arizona in the pinewoods for a country New Year’s celebration. At the old Weatherford Hotel you’ll see a six-foot, 70-pound Pine Cone lowered twice on New Year’s Eve, at 10 p.m. and midnight. An eclectic mix of holiday music pours from the Weatherford hotel’s balcony as the crowd counts down to midnight. Inside the historic Weatherford, popular local rock ‘n’ roll bands perform. Video: Watch the Pinecone Drop.

For a more sedate celebration you’ll enjoy music in Phoenix. Partake in a favorite Phoenix tradition by celebrating New Year’s Eve with The Phoenix Symphony!  End the year on a high note as Randall Craig Fleischer, a Leonard Bernstein fellow, conducts The Phoenix Symphony in the Valley’s most popular New Year’s Eve Celebration. Enjoy famous Strauss Waltzes and seasonal classics from Puccini, Gershwin and Gilbert and Sullivan. Don’t miss this joyous and popular musical celebration.  More on the Phoenix Symphony website.

Nevada
Want something really wild? The Las Vegas Strip has the big party with a few hundred thousand people celebrating the New Year right on the street. It will be quite an experience as you can expect to see wall to wall people that have each decided that starting the night at noon meant drinking way too much all day. There is a huge fireworks display at midnight and the electricity in the air is amazing. More on New Years in Las Vegas from travel writer Zeke Quezada.

I prefer a smaller celebration and so New Years in Reno might fit the bill. Travel writer,Stan White provides a great list of things for both adults and families to do on New Years in the Reno area. The fireworks at the ski resorts sound fantastic. More on New Years in Reno

Texas
Dallas might be a fun place for New Year’s Eve. Some celebrations are elegant sit-down dinners and some are on-your-feet-dancing parties. Some are some combination of the two. There are also a couple of non-traditional ways to celebrate with the entire family — like driving through Prairie Lights on its closing night or attending the Dallas Stars hockey game. More Dallas ideas.

Last but not least head to Texas to Ring in the New Year San Antonio Style. I’m a great fan of San Antonio and love the Riverwalk area. You can Ring in the New Year with San Antonio’s biggest New Year’s Eve party downtown. Spend your New Year’s Eve at the Celebrate San Antonio festival in downtown San Antonio.  Enjoy live music, entertainment, great food and libations.  The Celebrate San Antonio party is held on South Alamo Street between Market and Durango Street and in La Villita. More on Celebrate San Antonio.