There are a lot of options for New Year’s Eve parties. For those of you thinking of venturing to a public event this year, perhaps because your best friend is still mad at you for turning his kitchen into a champagne wading pool the previous year, the following five events are recommended for their uniqueness, diversity of patrons, and a minimal chance of drunken riffraff who think it’s a great idea to ruin it for everybody else.

The Know Theatre CityBeat NYE Speakeasy Party

Cincinnati’s premiere alternative theatre has been throwing this Prohibition-themed New Year’s Eve party for seven years.

“We used to do different themes but we settled on this one because it was so popular, selling out every time,” said Know Theatre Producing Artistic Director Eric Vossmeier. “We have the most interesting crowd. It’s literally all ages, from 21 to 81. It’s a super-fun party but everyone is really respectful.”

The party will consist of two floors. Upstairs is a dance floor with DJ and casino games such as roulette, blackjack and poker-style contests. Downstairs will be a live jazz trio, themed drink specials such as martinis and sidecars, and raffles and giveaways throughout the evening.

However, the most important part of the Speakeasy Party (though it isn’t mandatory), is the dressing up. Men will wander around in fedoras and zoot suits, whereas the women will often combine fashion trends past and present. For instance, it won’t be uncommon to see a feathered hat and fishnets on the same person. Vossmeier said he couldn’t comment on his patrons’ resources.

“It’s a good question,” he said. “Some costumes are obviously store-bought, but in other cases people really do collect and own a great deal of items from that period.”

HOW TO GO

What: The Know Theatre CityBeat NYE Speakeasy Party

Where: The Know Theatre, 1120 Jackson St., Cincinnati, OH

When: December 31, 8 p.m. - 1 a.m.

Cost: $25

More Info: (513) 300-KNOW, or www.knowtheatre.com

New Year’s Eve Blast

If you’ve a hankering for a Times Square-like event, the New Year’s Eve Blast, held in downtown’s Fountain Square with two stages and the giant Macy’s screen, is probably your ticket. Indeed, this is the first year the event will involve live music.

“We always had DJs in the past,” said Marvin Hawkins, the event’s programming manager. “We were on cruise control for awhile, but we’ve always wanted to make it bigger, to increase our attendance by offering something different.”

The musical lineup will include Arin Ray, a Cincinnati native who was just eliminated from “The X Factor.”

Yet the event’s most striking feature will be the gigantic ice skating rink. People can glide around the ice for free while listening to the music and the local media celebrities broadcasting live nearby. Accompanying the countdown will be fireworks and a holographic show.

Attending the party is free if you just want to hang out in the square, but several VIP packages are also available.

“You can hang out in the top floor of the Via Vite Restaurant,” Hawkins said. “There will be door prizes, swag bags, food, and a bar. And you’ll have balcony seating for the fireworks and holographic show.”

There are no street closures and there’s parking directly underneath Fountain Square.

“It’s a pretty big space,” Hawkins said. “People can drink anywhere within the perimeter of the square.”

HOW TO GO

What: New Year’s Eve Blast

When: December 31, 8 a.m. - 1 a.m.

Where: Fountain Square, 5th and Vine St., Cincinnati, OH

Cost: Free admission; VIP packages are $150-$450

More Info: (513) 621-4400, or www.myfountainsquare.com

New Year’s Eve at Newport Syndicate

While the New Year’s Eve Blast can perhaps boast of being the most telegenic Cincinnati New Year’s Event, the Newport Syndicate, an entertainment venue that hosts weddings and corporate events throughout the year, makes the bold statement that they’re the biggest New Year’s Eve party in town.

“It’s three different parties under one roof,” said Anita Kosco, Sales Manager for the Newport Syndicate. “It’s an open bar, and we have a DJ, the Rusty Griswolds, and our dueling piano bar. You can roam through all three at will.”

The Rusty Griswolds are a cover band specializing in 1980s pop/rock hits. They’ve been performing in popular venues all over Cincinnati for several years now. As for the dueling pianos, Kosco gave the lowdown for those who’ve never witnessed one.

“They’re very interactive,” she said. “They pull people out of the audience. They can sing anything from Bon Jovi to Blake Shelton. They do the chicken dance. They do a lot of college theme songs. They really get people going.”

Kosco explained that due to the higher cost of tickets, the clientele tend to be 30-and-up, though they are offering $60 tickets that won’t include dinner, but will still include the open bar and entertainment throughout the evening.

HOW TO GO

What: New Year’s Eve at Newport Syndicate

Where: Newport Syndicate, 18 E. 5th St., Newport, KY

When: December 31, 8 p.m. - 1 a.m.

Cost: $60-$100

More Info: (859) 491-8000, or www.newportsyndicate.com

Kids New Year’s Eve at the Boonshoft

This is the ninth year the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery has put on its family-friendly New Year’s Eve event, but this is the first year they’re holding it in the afternoon instead of the evening.

“The whole point is to offer families a kid-friendly way to usher in the New Year while still allowing parents to have their traditional night out,” said Kristy Creel, Boonshoft’s Senior Manager for Marketing and Public Relations.

Games and activities will include karaoke and dancing, balloon art, face painting, and local mascots. There will also be a hands-on science lab, with a lesson on magnetism, and the kids will count down the New Year every hour on the hour because, as Creel pointed out, “Every hour it’s midnight somewhere in one of our sister cities around the globe.”

As far as activities, Creel specifically emphasized the dancing and the making of a healthy New Year’s Resolution, which includes an activity where kids can make their own trail mix.

“It helps fight off the munchies throughout the afternoon,” Creel said. “And they like it when they can make it themselves, pick and choose (the ingredients). And the dancing makes it feel like it’s a traditional New Year’s party, too.”

HOW TO GO

What: Kids’ New Year’s Eve at the Boonshoft

Where: Boonshoft Museum of Discovery, 2600 DeWeese Parkway, Dayton, OH

When: December 31, 1-4 p.m.

Cost: $7.99-$30.99

More Info: (937) 275-7431, or www.boonshoftmuseum.org

Viennafest: A New Year’s Eve Celebration

Maestro Neal Gittleman and the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra will be performing a salute to Viennese music, which is itself a salute to the spirit of New Year’s Eve.

“In Austria during the imperial era, New Year’s kicked off the ballroom dancing season for the aristocracy and the court,” Gittleman said. “It would last all the way to Lent, so there’s a vast repertoire.”

According to Gittleman, the program will include waltzes and polkas, pieces by Joseph Hadyn, Johann Strauss II, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The concert will also benefit from the new partnership the DPO has with the Dayton Ballet and the Dayton Opera, the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance.

Caitlin Cisler, soprano Artist In Residence at The Dayton Opera, will perform several numbers during the concert. The finale will consist of six dancers from The Dayton Ballet and the DPO performing Strauss’s legendary waltz, “The Blue Danube.”

“We’ve been doing New Year’s shows for 15 year or so and we’ve periodically strayed away from Viennese music, but we always come back to it,” Gittleman said. “It’s a good excuse for a party.”

HOW TO GO

What: Viennafest: A New Year’s Eve Celebration

Where: Schuster Center, 1 West 2nd St., Dayton, OH

When: December 31, 8 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.

Cost: $8-$65

More Info: (888) 228-3630, or www.daytonphilharmonic.com.