Celebrate New Year’s Eve 2018 in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach
With Christmas only a short time ahead and a brand new year following quickly just behind, you’re probably already thinking about where you’ll be when the ole clock strikes midnight on December 31. Why not make some amazing memories with you family or just your sweetheart right here on the Alabama Gulf Coast? We are proud to have some of the best night spots anywhere in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach and we, at Sunset Properties, hope you will make plans to visit one or all of them on New Year’s Eve 2018.
- The Wharf
The Wharf is so much more than just a shopping mall. It is an entertainment district unlike any other we’ve found. It’s like a mini-city located inside one of our favorite beach towns, Orange Beach. We all know what Main Street at Disney looks like, but have you ever spent New Years on Main Street at The Wharf? With attractions like one of the the largest Ferris Wheels in the southeast and a seasonal ice skating rink just a few minutes from The Gulf, holidays at The Wharf are unmatched. This year you can expect to find kids activities beginning at 11 AM and ending at 9 PM. Bring the kiddos out to see the confetti drop at noon, stay for face painting, a bouncy house and even a mechanical bull, along with so much more! Adults can expect to have a blast, too! Live music begins at 7PM and lasts til midnight, when the best fireworks show on our island will blow you away! With coffee shops and dress shops, fireworks and music, food and fun; with a giant marlin drop at midnight, it should come as no surprise, that we recommend spending some or all of your New Years Eve at The Wharf in Orange Beach.
- Lulu’s
Lucy Buffet’s Lulu’s in Gulf Shores is an entertaining place to go all year, so the fact that we recommend it for New Years fun should come as a shock to no one. With great food, fabulous beverages and actual cool stuff for the kids to do, Lulu’s in Gulf Shores should be on your short list of places to visit holiday season! The New Year’s Eve Celebration at Lulu’s starts at 10AM on December 31st and lasts all day til 3PM. What’s different about New Year’s Eve at Lulu’s? We for starters, their beach ball drop. Have you ever been under a beach ball drop? Not just one beach ball, hundreds of colorful beach balls drop from the ceiling at Lulu’s at noon on New Year’s Eve. Just to be there to see that should be in your plans! Along with that super fun event, there will be face painting, live music, sand castle building and crafts. And lets not forget Lulu’s great food! It’s the holidays and what is a must-have dessert in the south during the holidays? Bread pudding! Lulu’s has bread pudding with a wonderful twist: they make theirs with Krispy Kreme brand donuts. If that doesn’t make your mouth water, your tongue must be dead! Lulu’s also has menus to accommodate folks with allergies to gluten, shellfish, eggs, dairy and more. If a family friendly, affordable event is what you’re looking to do for New Year’s Eve, go to Lulu’s. We think you’ll be glad you did!
- The Hangout
Everyone who has ever been to the heart of Gulf Shores knows The Hangout is a groovy place to go! You may have heard about the world famous Hangout Music Festival, but did you know they also host fabulous New Year’s Eve events? That’s right! They have a family friendly event that starts on December 31st at 2PM and lasts for five hours. At The Hangout, on New Year’s Eve afternoon, your family can enjoy a yummy buffet, movies on a big screen, hair braiding, football playoff previews, and a colorful balloon drop with prizes in every balloon. This is truly a fun event for the whole family! With the public beach right in front of The Hangout, what better way is there to watch the last sunset of 2018? After the sun goes down, the fun doesn’t stop! Evening events at The Hangout are geared more toward adults. Beginning at 2PM and lasting til at least midnight, The Hangout will provide a buffet, complimentary champagne at midnight, a balloon drop with great prizes and, of course, football playoff previews on TV. So get a group of your favorite kiddos together to enjoy the afternoon events at The Hangout and stay with your adult friends to ring in the New Year in the heart of your favorite Small Town with a Big Beach!
- Flora-Bama
If an adult-only New Year’s Eve is more your thing, you have to get to state line before the calendar flips! New Year’s Eve in one of America’s most celebrated road house bars The Flora-Bama Lounge Package & Oyster Bar is like nothing you’ve ever done before. The celebration and music will begin at 7PM and last until 3AM on New Year’s Day. For one all-inclusive ticket, you’ll get an all-you-can-eat buffet starting at 7PM an lasting until around midnight, breakfast sandwiches starting at midnight, champagne, party favors and music music music! We strongly encourage you to purchase your tickets in advance. This party is a big party and folks come from all over to be at the Flora Bama when the clock strikes twelve! Tickets can sell out and we don’t want you to miss out, so if this party on the beach sounds like something you will enjoy, go ahead and get your tickets now! And don’t forget to come back to the Flora-Bama at noon on New Year’s Day 2019 for the Annual Polar Bear Dip. Join a couple of hundred of your next best friends for a dip in The Gulf of Mexico followed by a traditional New Year’s Day lunch of black-eyed peas, cornbread and ham.
- Cosmos or Cobalt
So you don’t really care about face painting and fireworks. You rode the Ferris Wheel back in the summer and climbing a rock wall just isn’t your idea of ringing in the New Year. Instead you have a nice romantic evening in mind. Or maybe you just want to have a really great dinner with your family. You want to get dressed up in your favorite new holiday clothes and go out to eat where a friendly, professional staff serves you amazing food that makes your eyes shine and your mouth happy. We totally understand. For you, we suggest Cobalt, The Restaurant located on Perdido Beach Boulevard in Orange Beach or Cosmos Restaurant & Bar located on Canal Road. Both of these wonderful restaurants have special menus planned for New Years Eve. During the summer, reservations are not customary for these places. However, for New Years Eve, reservations are not only accepted, but strongly encouraged. A limited number of walk-in guests will be seated, but we can’t stress enough how important a reservation for December 31st will be. Seating will begin at 4PM and the last guests will be seated at 9PM. A full bar will be available and you can expect specially prepared menu items like a seared filet or creme brulee. We know champagne is the drink of choice for New Year’s Eve, but you are on Island Time and you can never go wrong with a great rum drink. At Cosmos, try Momos Rum Runner and at Cobalt, try a Dragonfly. If you’ve eaten at either or both of these great dinner spots during the summer, expect something totally different for New Year’s Eve. At Cosmos and Cobalt they believe a special night deserves a special menu and they are creating one only available on this date.
We know how you choose to send out the old year and ring in the new one is an event as individual and exceptional as you are. We have given you a list of our five favorite ways to do it and we hope one of these works for you! Don’t forget to check out our list of New Year’s Resolutions You Can Keep and when you’re planning your vacations, large or small, in 2019, give us a call at 251-543-1370 or hit us up online at info@sunsetproperties.com. We will be thrilled to help you find just the perfect vacation home to fit your needs.
Happy Holidays and Happy New Year from all of us
at Sunset Properties and we wish for your family much joy and prosperity in 2019.
Come back and see us again real soon!
