Don't get ho-hum about New Year's Eve just yet. Sure it has its timeworn staples -- balloon drop, messy kiss with someone you may or may not be acquainted with, a flute of something fizzy. But, in a city as large as ours, the options run the gamut. Shall we travel that gamut together?
LOVES TO DANCE: Giant Maximus and Together as One. Big big big. The party goes into the wee small hours, and then laughs at the wee small hours, and keeps going...
ALL ABOUT BIG STARS: Katy Perry. George Lopez. Pink Martini. Stone Temple Pilots...
HAS TO MOVE -- LITERALLY: Climb aboard the Fillmore & Western Railway for dinner, dancing and bubbly. Oh, and some chug-chugging along in a vintage train. Entertainers dressed as legendary movie stars will also be making the journey.
SLEIGHT-OF-HAND FANS: Magicopolis, that Santa Monica nexus for mind-blowing tricks, is welcoming 2009. Do they throw a puff of smoke before the new year gets here, we wonder?
NEIGHBORHOOD-Y VIBE: Get a pitcher and grab a table as the bars of Farmers Market host the Black & White Ball.
KID-COOL TO-DOS: Downtown Fullerton hosts "First Night"; the outdoor festivities are open to all ages and are completely alcohol free.
OCEAN ADJACENT: The Queen Mary is doing it up with five parties, and midnight fireworks off the stern. Do not be tempted to act out the scene from "Titanic"; oh, it's nearly a new year, why not?
