Going out and gathering with the masses to ring in the New Year is not a smart or safe option for the 2020-2021 transition. But there are plenty of ways to virtually say goodbye to this longest of years and welcome the next (hopefully better) year.
Arizona History Happy Hour
Arizona’s “hip historian” Marshall Shore will host a happy hour live from the Arizona Heritage Center at Papago Park from 7 to 8 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. Shore will take guests on a virtual tour of the museum, followed by happy hour with trivia from the Arizona Historical Society. Tune in on Shore’s Facebook page.
Live Painting with Jason Hugger
Phoenix-based artist Jason Hugger will be painting live from his studio starting at 10:30 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. Known for his surreal desert landscape paintings inspired by discarded objects like busted spark plugs and rusty saw blades, Hugger plans to host a brush-to-canvas bash live on his Facebook page until shortly before midnight, when he’ll toast to 2021 with a bottle of bubbly before wrapping up the livestream painting session around 12:15 a.m.
The Virtual Great Pinecone Drop
For 22 years, Flagstaff has hailed the incoming year by dropping a 6-foot, 70–pound illuminated aluminum pinecone from the balcony of The Weatherford Hotel. This year, the Great Pinecone Drop goes virtual, as the thousands who typically gather in the streets for the festivities and the fireworks show that follows will hunker down in the warmth of their homes. Watch the drop online.
Kiss Off 2020 (Las Vegas)
In 2020, what happens in Las Vegas, happens on the Internet. Sin City’s annual celebrations shift to cyberspace this year as Las Vegas hosts Kiss Off 2020 online. The live stream starts shortly before midnight and includes a DJ spinning tunes while a massive 2020 sign will be lit up before being blown up amidst an eruption of confetti and fireworks in a 15-minute show.
Shakespeare’s New Year’s Shakin’ Eve
Fans of The Bard might like this New Year’s Eve event, which features performances by a host of players including Shakespeare Approves; Andrew McKee, the Irish Bard; Drunk & Disorderly; Chaste Treasure; and Shelli Buttons. Tickets cost $30 and are available on Eventbrite. The revelry starts at 7:30 p.m. MST.
