Who’s ready to celebrate? The High Country has seen plenty of good times in 2016, but it’s ready to roll out the red carpet for another new year and open the door for a whole new world of excitement. Restaurants, bars, resorts and other local establishments guarantee more ways than one to enjoy New Year’s Eve in the communities of Boone, Blowing Rock and Banner Elk. Remember to make your dinner reservations in advance. The party’s almost here, so get dressed up and ring in the new year in style. Cheers to 2017!
Appalachian Mountain Brewery
163 Boone Creek Drive in Boone | 828-263-1111 | amb.beer
Saturday, Dec. 31 from 7:30-11 p.m.: Live music from Joseph Houck.
Bayou Smokehouse and Grill
130 Main St. E in Banner Elk | 828-898-8952 | bayousmokehouse.com
Saturday, Dec. 31: Open for New Year’s Eve festivities. Enjoy the full menu until midnight, then celebrate with a champagne toast. The bar stays open until 2 a.m. with lots of party favors, fun and games.
Boone Saloon
489 W. King St. in downtown Boone | 828-264-1811 | boonesaloon.com
Saturday, Dec. 31: It’s a New Years shindig to not be missed. Nashville’s reckless duo Birdcloud grace Boone once again with their special brand of country music. Local ruffians The Nude Party will be closing out the night with some rock and roll to welcome in the New Year. Birdcloud (Nashville, TN): Banned from YouTube, booed at America’s Got Talent, and lauded for their irreverence by a global cult following, Birdcloud’s music has been referred to as the ravenous id of today’s commercial country sound. Nashville natives Jasmin Kaset and Makenzie Green have spent years touring dive bars, lavish theaters, and women’s prisons across America. https://www.facebook.com/birdcloud/, https://www.youtube.com/user/birdcloudamerica, http://birdcloudamerica.com/ The Nude Party (Boone, NC): Rock n Roll / The Devils Music https://soundcloud.com/
Café Portofino
970 Rivers St. in downtown Boone | 828-264-7772 | cafeportofino.net
Saturday, Dec. 31 from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.: New Year’s Eve Bash. Bring it in and ring it in with us at Cafe Portofino this New Year’s Eve. Early arrival avoids the line. DJ Says Who 11pm-2am. Champagne specials all day. $2 domestics, $3 Blue Moon, $5 Jack & Coke, $5 Scooby Snacks. NYE party favors. No cover charge (21+ with ID). Dress to the 9’s and don’t forget to designate a driver. Adios 2016!
The Cardinal
1711 N.C. Highway 105 in Boone | 828-355-9600 | thecardinalboone.com
Saturday, Dec. 31 from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.: New Year’s Eve show with the A to Z Market String Band. Come take a step back in time this new year at the Cardinal! We will be featuring prohibition style cocktails, a complimentary champagne toast, and live music from the A to Z Market String Band. Come out and raise a glass, or several, stomp your feet, and hoot and holler your way into 2017! With a sound that can only be compared to a musical hydra ensnaring mosh pits of flatfooters and flinging rowdy square dancers to and fro, the A to Z Market Band bends space and time to bring the party in a way that you and past Carolinians could have enjoyed together . Celebrate your survival of another year with the original rave music which survived wars and depressions, celebrated good times in barn dances and Ruritan halls, and still makes homes and porches the perfect place to party.
Green Park Inn
9239 Valley Blvd. in Blowing Rock | 828-414-9230 | greenparkinn.com
Saturday, Dec. 31 at 8:30 p.m.: New Year’s Eve Gala. Five-course dinner: $87 per person + tax and 20 percent gratuity. Live swing style music by High Standards. Champagne toast at midnight. Reservations required! Call to reserve your seats.
High Country Tap Room and Dog Bar
110 Sugar Mountain Drive in Banner Elk | 386-506-1073 | highcountrytaproom.weebly.com
Saturday, Dec. 31 from 8-11 p.m.: New Year’s Eve Jam. Beer/Chocolate Pairing 530-7pm Specials from Sierra Nevada
Music jam rock your christmas sox off! Brad King opens the evening with americana acoustic 8pm. THIN AIR FACTION-local hip funk groove Amazing Band! 9pm
The Local
179 Howard St. in downtown Boone | 828-266-2179 | thelocalboone.com
Saturday, Dec. 31: Food and drink specials along with the full menu from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. DJ Hamilton New Year’s Eve Dance Party 11 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Lost Province Brewing Co.
130 N. Depot St. in downtown Boone | 828-265-3506 | lostprovince.com
Saturday, Dec. 31 from 8 p.m. to closing: New Year’s Eve Celebration with Lazybirds. Lazybirds is a classic American band with roots in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina. Formed in 1996, the quartet began by immersing into the old forgotten styles of blues, jazz, country, and ragtime that had been the soundtrack of the American underground several decades earlier. The band quickly developed a reputation in the High Country for playing music that touches people at their core in a way that hearkens back to a time when music was more closely intertwined with nature. With Mitchell Johnston on stand-up bass and vocals, James T. Browne on drums and vocals, Jay Brown on guitar, harmonica and vocals, and Alfred Michels on fiddle and guitar, Lazybirds have created a sound that is all their own, at once familiar and original.
Murphy’s Pub
747 W. King St. in downtown Boone | 828-264-5117 | murphysboone.com
Saturday, Dec. 31: New Year’s Eve show with The Adam Church Band.
Proper
142 S. Water St. in downtown Boone | 828-265-5000 | propermeal.com
Saturday, Dec. 31: New Year’s Eve Dinner. Five courses with wine pairings featuring Gloria Ferrer Wines. $60 per person. Reservations required. Menu to include: * Scallops over spaghetti squash with brown butter and shallot cream paired with Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Blancs Sparkling, California. * Honey roasted pears with local goat cheese and pecans, arugula, frisee and honey lemon vinagrette paired with Gloria Ferrer Sonoma County Chardonnay Etesian, California 2014. * Lobster Bisque paired with Gloria Ferrer Pinot Noir Etesian, California 2012. * 5 oz. filet or cauliflower steak topped with fried oysters, grilled asparagus and bearnaise paired with Gloria Ferrer Careros Pinot Noir, California 2011. * Brown sugar pavolva paired with Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noirs, California.
Timberlake’s at Chetola Resort
185 Chetola Lake Drive in Blowing Rock | 828-295-5500 | chetola.com
Saturday, Dec. 31: Four course prix fixe dinner with champagne. Seatings 5-10 p.m. Call 828-295-5500 for reservations.
Town Tavern
1182 Main St. in downtown Blowing Rock | 828-295-7500 | towntavernbr.com
Friday, Dec. 30 at 10 p.m.: Pre-New Year’s Eve show with BanDam. It’s gonna be a long, fun weekend, and there’s no better place to start than Town Tavern! Come out to celebrate the end of the year and drink to the good, and the bad. Let’s make 2017 feel welcome!
Saturday, Dec. 31: New Year’s Eve Bash. No cover charge! Karaoke starts at 9:30 p.m. followed by a champagne toast.
Twigs Restaurant and Bar
7956 Valley Blvd. in Blowing Rock | 828-295-5050 | twigsbr.com
Saturday, Dec. 31 at 9 p.m.: New Year’s Eve music with BanDam. It’s time to welcome 2017 with open arms. Join us as we gear up the energy and bring out the lights! Let’s celebrate the good and drink away the bad of 2016!!! BanDam is a local group originating in Boone, NC. The band takes a little bit of everything into their sound, leaving no musical influence out of their playing and writing. If you like a diverse spectrum of music, BanDam is the group for you!
Vidalia Restaurant and Wine Bar
831 W King St. in downtown Boone | 828-263-9176 | vidaliaofboonenc.com
Saturday, Dec. 31: New Year’s Eve Dinner. Dinner $60 per person + tax and gratuity. Suggested wine pairing additional $30. Reservations required. Menu to include: * Potato Gaufrette paired with Steele Chardonnay. * Beet Salad paired with NxNW Dry Riesling or Country Pate paired with Giocato Pino Grigio. * Grilled Petite Filet of Beef paired with Steele Red Hill Cabernet or Lobster Mac N’ Cheese paired with Steele Shooting Star Sauvignon Blanch or Braised Pork Cheeks paired with Steele Catfish Zinfandel. * Cherry Chocolate Cake paired with Fattoria Moretto Lambrussco or Tiramisu paired with Tomassi Prosecco.
SKI MOUNTAIN FESTIVITIES
Appalachian Ski Mountain
940 Ski Mountain Road in Blowing Rock | 828-295-7828 | appskimtn.com
Saturday, Dec. 31: Join us for New Year’s Eve and ring in 2017 in style! Fireworks, torchlight skiing and more! Moonlight ice-skating from 10 pm to midnight. Festive Restaurant Specials also available from 9pm to midnig
Beech Mountain Resort
1007 Beech Mountain Parkway | 828-387-2011 | beechmountainresort.com
Saturday, Dec. 31: Beech Mountain Resort is looking forward to the biggest and best fireworks show on Beech Mountain! Live music, games, ice skating, dancing, and fun await you after an awesome day of skiing and snowboarding!
Family Night – For the younger crowd, BMR offers “Family Night” in the Lodge from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., free of charge! To kick things off we will be hosting Beech Mountain BINGO with tons of great prizes & fun for all ages. Our very own kid’s DJ will be spinning fun party tunes to get everyone moving. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. After winning one of many great prizes at BINGO it will be time to lace up your ice skates for a New Year’s Eve Late Night Ice Skate! For only $15 everyone can enjoy a skate under the stars accompanied by festive music during an additional session from 10 p.m. to 12 a.m.
21 and Up Party – The most anticipated event of the holiday season is back! We are excited to welcome Melissa Reaves & The Willy’s to host our annual New Year’s Eve Bash at The Beech Tree Bar & Grill. The 21 & up event kicks off at 7:30 p.m. with doors opening at 6 p.m. A DJ will spin to get everyone amped up and ready to bring in 2017 with Melissa Reaves & The Willy’s headlining the evenings festivities. $10 per person general admission
Everyone knows no New Year’s Eve Bash would be complete without fireworks! We can’t wait to light up the New Year’s Eve sky with an awesome fireworks show just after midnight. Don’t miss New Year’s Eve 2016 at Beech Mountain Resort, this will be one for the books!
As always, Beech Mountain Resort will provide FREE shuttle service to and from local lodging facilities. To schedule a shuttle ride, or for more information on the festivities, please call the resort @ 1.800.438.2093.
Sugar Mountain Resort
1009 Sugar Mountain Drive | 828-898-4521 | skisugar.com
Saturday, Dec. 31: Sugar Mountain Resort will host a New Year’s Eve spectacular, mountain style! At 6 p.m. on Saturday, December 31 Olympic figure skating silver medalist Paul Wylie and friends will perform an amazing ice show. To follow, take advantage of the opportunity to meet the Olympic star. You may even get the chance to hold Paul’s Olympic silver medal. Hit the slopes, the tubing park or the ice-rink during the night sessions or participate in the indoor festivities, featuring live music by The Johnson Brothers from 9 p.m. until 1 a.m. Reservations and a fee for the indoor party are required and should be made by calling 828-898-4521 x261. Later, at 11:45, a group of local skiers and snowboarders will form a beautiful and romantic torch light parade which will elegantly snake its way down the Big Birch slope to the mountain’s base. And the grand finale, a fireworks show to delight and ring in the New Year will take place at midnight.