Tom Purcell, guest commentary

The Gilbert Mayor's New Year's Eve party will be 8 p.m. to midnight Dec.31 at the McQueen Park Activity Center, 510 N. Horne St. The family-friendly event includes a band playing music from the 1960s and '70s, a center for "tweens" ages 5-12 sponsored by Brunswick XL Bowling, and day care for younger kids. Admission is $5 per family or $2 per person, and food will be available for purchase. The event is alcohol- and tobacco-free.

Gilbert’s annual Mayor’s New Year’s Eve Party will be quite the show, organizers say.

BURBANK, Calif. - A day after earning four Grammy nominations, Akon performed at a New Year's Eve party. "Wattup! Happy New Year!" the singer called out to a young crowd decked out in party hats and "2008" glasses.

If you want to have some friends over to ring in the new year, but you’re feeling partied out from all the holiday festivities, we have some no-stress ideas for hosting a New Year’s Eve bash.

Time is ticking down with the year 2006 just hours away, yet some would-be partygoers still don’t know where they’ll be when the ball drops.

Forget family friendly. Scottsdale’s New Year’s Eve 2005 bash won’t offer free baby-sitting, kids’ games or beer gardens. Instead, revelers will be dining, dancing and drinking in the streets.

The family-friendly, alcohol-free Mayor's New Year's Eve Party in Gilbert is returning for the third straight year.

The family-friendly, alcohol-free Mayor's New Year's Eve Party in Gilbert is returning for the third straight year.

The nationally known Mill Avenue New Year's Eve party in Tempe is making some changes and some cutbacks.

As New Year's revelers toast their champagne glasses at midnight, AAA Arizona reminds everyone to greet 2011 safely. Recent AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety findings indicate that more people were killed in alcohol-related crashes after the year-end holiday. To help motorists keep the resolution to not drink and drive, AAA will offer its "Tipsy Tow" service over the New Year's celebration.

As New Year's revelers toast their champagne glasses at midnight, AAA Arizona reminds everyone to greet 2011 safely. Recent AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety findings indicate that more people were killed in alcohol-related crashes after the year-end holiday. To help motorists keep the resolution to not drink and drive, AAA will offer its "Tipsy Tow" service over the New Year's celebration.

When looking at the musical lineup for the upcoming Scottsdale’s Ultimate Block Party on New Year’s Eve, it’s best to take it with a grain of salt. Veruca Salt, that is.

New Year’s Eve is the biggest party night of the year, and television is among the most youth-obsessed media, so guess who will be the top hosts this weekend when the ball drops in New York City’s Times Square?

December 28, 2004

WASHINGTON — Is the tea party the new Republican Party?

For the first time in years, Tempe’s Mill Avenue will lose the gates, street closures and admission fee for its giant outdoor New Year’s Eve party. All of downtown will be open and free to the public.

Not a New Year’s Eve partier? Me either.

How does the East Valley ring in the new year? With Tempe's Fiesta Bowl Block Party, Arizona's biggest New Year's Eve bash. The 27th annual party is open to all ages and will feature more than 20 bands on stages scattered throughout the Mill Avenue District. There are also street performers, interactive games, kids activities, beer gardens and food booths. At 10:45 p.m., hometown rockers Jimmy Eat World will perform on the mainstage, and there's a midnight confetti blast and fireworks shows at 10 p.m. and midnight.