Five best New Year’s Eve party places to watch Las Vegas fireworks
In Las Vegas, the DJs will be rocking, the booze flowing freely and the sky erupting in fireworks as revelers usher in 2018 amid increased security.
The massive America’s Party, which drew more than 300,000 revelers last year, is on. Coming just three months after 58 people were killed in the Oct. 1 mass shooting in the city, visitors can expect to see more police officers and National Guard troops on hand than in 2016.
In Las Vegas, it is no surprise that an over-the-top theme extends to the New Year’s Eve fireworks. At the stroke of midnight, more than 80,000 rockets will light up the night sky as they are launched from seven Strip resorts: Aria, Caesars Palace, MGM Grand, Planet Hollywood Resort, Stratosphere, TI and The Venetian.
While most people chose to party for free along the world-famous Strip, clubs and parties (though still jam-packed) can offer special vantage points.
1. The High Roller
Toasting from the High Roller comes with boasting rights too. You’ll be ringing in the new year at the world’s highest observation wheel (for now). (The honor will shift to the East Coast in 2018 when the New York Wheel, 80 feet taller than Vegas’ wheel at 630 feet, is scheduled to open..
Single midnight rides on the High Roller cost $150. Or you can splurge on entire cabin for up to 25 people starting at $4,500.
2. Hyde Bellagio
Back at ground level, the indoor-outdoor Hyde Bellagio nightclub has great views of the fireworks and the resort’s famous dancing fountains. Formal attire is suggested for “Countdown by the Lake,” which begins at 9 p.m. General admission from $50.
3. Paris Las Vegas
A dash across Las Vegas Boulevard takes guests from Italy to France. At Paris Las Vegas, two party spots — Beer Park and Chateau Nightclub & Rooftop — are teaming up to host a joint rooftop party with prime spots for the fireworks. Various packages are available and include an open bar from 9 p.m. to midnight.
Tickets start at $125.
4. Hard Rock Cafe
Don’t overlook the Hard Rock Cafe. It has an outdoor deck that’s perfect for fireworks watching and people-watching. While the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is more than a mile off the Strip, the Cafe sits in an enviable location right along Las Vegas Boulevard. The $195-per-person tickets include an open bar, food stations serving appetizers, party favors and a DJ spinning high-energy hits.
5. Drai’s
Resident DJ Chris Brown will be playing to a packed house at Drai’s Nightclub. Located on the roof of the Cromwell, the uber-popular club provides a perfect perch for the pyrotechnics, particularly those shot off from just across the street at Caesars Palace. The black-tie party, which includes two glasses of bubbly, costs $125 for women and $175 for men.
Folks who want to create their own pyrotechnic shows can head to neighboring Nye County, where several year-round fireworks stores will be open this weekend.
Pahrump, a town about 60 miles west of Las Vegas, offers visitors a safe, supervised spot from which they can fire off their purchases.
Fireworks Over Pahrump, which takes place from 6 p.m. to midnight Saturday and Sunday, is a place where you can launch your own fireworks for free. Participants, however, must have permits from one of the five local fireworks stores.
The rules
Despite the large presence of law enforcement, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officers will remain relatively unobtrusive on New Year’s Eve. They do, however, enforce ordinances that prohibit these items during the big bash:
• Backpacks
• Coolers
• Electric carts
• Glass bottles
• Oversize purses
• Strollers
Although recreational marijuana became legal in Nevada this year, you cannot smoke or consume it in public, including outdoors along Las Vegas Boulevard. The resorts along the street also ban the use of pot.
Fireworks for personal use also are tightly restricted in Clark County, which includes greater Las Vegas.
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