Guide To New Year's Eve In Minneapolis

By Kate LaChapelle

If the Mayans were right and 2012 really is going to bring the end of the world, as we know it, we may as well mark the end of this one with a bang. Instead of slumming it on the couch with a bottle of imitation champagne, brave the wicked winter weather and ring in the New Year in style at these fabulous celebrations.

Event Name: Shanghaied New Year's Eve

Cost: $45.00 advance, $60.00 doors
Doors Open: 9 p.m.

This multi-level party pulls out all the stops to ensure maximum pleasure. Attractions range from circus performers and geisha girls to a disco warehouse and a speakeasy casino. They've got a number of options for packages as well including VIP service and open bar access starting at $25. Pulling in master remixer Gigamesh, DJ Bach and Sweet Talk Radio, it's the one-stop shop for lavish party lovers.

Event Name: First Avenue's New Year's Eve Danceteria

Cost: $5 - $10 advance, $20 doors
Doors Open: 8 p.m.

Dance the year away at First Ave's annual bash featuring Get Cryphy, Sovietpanda, Roy Freedom and DJ Smitty among many other special guests. Celebrate Minnesota music history at one of its most iconic music venues as you tip into the New Year with a heavy beat pulsing in your heart. Life's a party at this event and so can be the beginning of your New Year.

Event Name: Miracle New Year's Eve Celebration

Cost: Tickets start at $35, Packages start at $249
Doors Open: 5 p.m.

For those that would like to start off the New Year with a good deed, check out the Miracle New Year's Eve Celebration headed by the Miracles of Mitch Foundation which supports families of children suffering from cancer. It's a family friendly event that includes dinner and features the Casablanca Orchestra. It offers activities that vary from arts and crafts to a silent auction, bingo, and dancing.

Event Name: The Shout! House New Year's Eve

Cost: $50
Doors Open: 6 p.m.

Rock out at this dueling piano bar while you ring in the New Year as you enjoy a Prime Rib dinner complete with a dinner buffet and a glass of bubbly to clink glasses at midnight. Duelers will have at it throughout the night, offering a fun, competitive evening of music and celebration. Shout! House partygoers can also take advantage of a special house rate for the evening at the Radisson.

Event Name: Epic's Mystique 2012: Le Cirque

Cost: $25 General Admission, $40 VIP
Doors Open: 8 p.m.

For a more decadent celebration, check out Epic's annual bash, this year centered on haute couture circus. Walk the tight rope of remembering the past and enjoying the present while celebrating what's to come in the next year. What better way to kick off 2012 than by dipping into an opulent world of beauty and fantasy as you count down to the New Year at this exclusive event?

Kate LaChapelle is a freelance writer in the Twin Cities area who survived earning a film degree from Emerson College in 2010. She's addicted to hazelnut soy lattes and sporadically tweets from @KateLaChapelle.