Family-friendly, adult celebrations promise lots of fun on last day of 2021

There’s still time to make plans for New Year’s Eve event throughout Greater Cincinnati. After watching the University of Cincinnati Bearcats take on Alabama at 3:30 p.m. in the College Football Playoff semifinals, you can head out to celebrate the flipping of the calendar to 2022. Following are various venues offering celebrations; check websites or call for availability and COVID-19 protocols.

Fountain Square New Year’s Eve Blast

Cincinnati Bell’s New Year’s Eve Blast, presented by La Marca, at Fountain Square will occur from 8 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. in the heart of downtown Cincinnati. Enjoy hot and cold drinks at the Fountain Square Bar, listen to the music, catch a dazzling light show, ice skate on the square’s rink for $10, play games—and then enjoy a midnight fireworks show.

Happy Zoo Year at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden

Go early and walk the zoo to see the animals (the zoo opens at 10 a.m.), then catch the Festival of Lights. At 8 p.m., the zoo invites all party animals to attend its 13th annual Happy Zoo Year with a kid-friendly early New Year’s countdown.

New Year’s Eve with the Cincinnati Cyclones

End the year in a family-friendly setting by taking in the Cyclones vs. Greenville Swamp Rabbits, with postgame indoor fireworks. Yes, you read that right. Doors open at 5 p.m., with the puck drop occurring an hour later at Heritage Bank Center.

Journey Borealis at Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park & Museum

Prefer not to be out among the crowds? Stay in your car and take a slow drive through Journey Borealis at Pyramid Hill, 1763 Hamilton Cleves Road, Hamilton. The show guides drivers through 2.5 miles of more than a million lights. Download the Otocast app, and enjoy the soundtrack by the Butler Philharmonic Orchestra with vocals by Cincinnati Boychoir. 6 to 10 p.m.

New Year’s Eve at Hard Rock Casino with Lady Gaga theme

Join the party starting at 7 p.m. on the casino floor. The casino, 1000 Broadway St. in Pendleton, will provide Lady Gaga-inspired rock-star sunglasses (while supplies last). Five Cincinnati queens will roam the floor starting at 8 p.m., and DJ will start rockin’ the casino at 10 p.m.

New Year’s Eve Kids Cruise with BB Riverboats

Bring the family and celebrate a countdown at noon instead of midnight, giving the adults an opportunity to celebrate on their own at night. The Kids Cruise sails from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., with a countdown at noon. Enjoy party favors, a DJ and a lunch buffet. Some of BB’s characters from its Pirate, Princess and Super Hero cruises will be on board. Hop on the boat at 101 Riverboat Row, Newport, Kentucky.

Other events

• · Ryan Hamilton’s New Year Eve’s show. Liberty Funny Bone comedy club and restaurant, 7518 Bales St., Space A-120, Liberty Township. 21 and older. 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m.
• · Dead (G)low Brewing 3rd Annual Keg Drop, featuring the Shadwell 5 and Tobot, 5959 Kellogg Ave., California. VIPs at 6 p.m., general admission at 7 p.m., live music at 8 p.m. · Phil DeGreg Quartet, (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/new-years-eve-party-at-the-point-2021-w-the-phil-degreg-quartet-tickets-184593101937) with rhythms from guests Kiko Sebrian on drums and Matt Wiles on bass, along with the sultry sounds of Dan Drees on saxophone, will take you on a musical journey at Schwartz’s Point Jazz & Acoustic Club, 1901 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine. 7:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.
• · Gatsby’s House 2022—wear your best 1920s flapper fashion and head to the Gatsby’s House New Year’s Eve celebration at the Westin Cincinnati hotel, 21 E. Fifth St., downtown Cincinnati. The multi-room party will have surprises throughout the night, topped off with a ballroom countdown. 8 p.m.
• · New Year’s Eve at Bircus Brewing Co., Ludlow Theatre, 322 Elm St., Ludlow, Kentucky—a family-friendly event from 6 to 8 p.m. The celebration will feature a Circus Mojo performance and instructional workshop, wood-fired pizza and an 8 p.m. “ball drop” with a ginger ale toast. Adults can stay for New Year’s Eve Freakshow Deluxe from 9 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.—sexy performers, stunning visuals and a sense of humor that keeps the audience enthralled. The company bills the show as a dark vaudevillian extravaganza that keeps spectators coming back for more.