New Year’s Eve Ideas for Tampa Bay
New Year’s Eve Ideas for Tampa Bay – Many Florida homeowners look forward to watching the ball drop from the comfort of their own living room. Others, however, enjoy making big plans for a night on the town. To help with the planning, our real estate team has created a New Year’s Eve list of tips and ideas for folks visiting or living in Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, or surrounding areas.
Local Ways to Welcome 2019:
- Get Creative At Home: Hosting house parties and watching televised events can be a lot of fun, but kick it up a notch with some fun decorations. You can create your own ball drop by placing several blown-up balloons in the middle of an unfolded paper tablecloth, gathering the four corners together to secure the balloons, and then very lightly taping each of the four corners to individual blades of your ceiling fan. Add a string of yarn to create a tug mechanism for pulling when you’re ready for the drop.
- Dine Your Way to a Great Night: Local restaurants and bars from Carrollwood, to Seminole Heights, to Hyde Park are offering deals and tastings for Floridians to welcome the New Year with noshing and delicious food. Reservations are often must, but you don’t have to stay out until midnight for a night to remember. For example, there will be a New Year’s Gala at Armature Works in Tampa from 4 to 8 p.m. for those of you wanting to get back home before the countdown.
- Ring in the New Year at Parties: There is no shortage of events for the late-night crowds. Check out Jackson’s Bistro for its annual New Year’s Eve Celebration, or dance your way to The Tampa Great Gatsby New Year’s Eve event at the Cuban Club. For those looking to celebrate on the Gulf, you may enjoy the countdown in Clearwater at the New Year’s Eve Party at Shephard’s Beach Resort. For a family-friendly night, head to First Night St. Petersburg for music, entertainment, and fireworks at midnight.
- Launch the Year with Fireworks: You’ll find several spots around the Greater Tampa Bay area offering midnight firework displays. Situate yourself near Tampa’s Channelside district, downtown St. Petersburg, or Busch Gardens for a view. Some lucky voyagers may plan to watch the fireworks from the water. For example, the Yacht StarShip and Tampa’s Pirate Water Taxi will be sailing past midnight around Tampa, while the Tropics Boat Tours in St. Petersburg will be cruising into New Year.
Planning a Safe Night
For those opting to go out, we encourage you to drink responsibly, confirm a designated driver, or utilize a transportation service. Tampa area residents are fortunate to have a wide selection of transportation services, including public buses, in-town trolleys, Uber, Lyft, and numerous taxi services (by land and by sea!). Also, AAA Auto Club South offers a free “Tow to Go” on New Year’s Eve to deter drivers from drinking and driving. Some cab companies, beverage companies, and some ride services are following this trend in providing free lifts for tipsy partygoers. Download any necessary apps and confirm resources in advance to ensure a safe and spectacular night.
As local real estate consultants, we love to see our customers enjoying events and activities all around the Tampa Bay area and beyond. We hope you have a Happy New Year, and we look forward to assisting you in 2019. Contact Dick and Karla Nielsen at 813-294-5786 for more information about neighborhoods, home buying, and home selling.
