This is it. 2018 is finally here and with it comes new opportunities and fresh starts. Maybe this is the year you finally pick up that hobby you’ve been thinking about. Or perhaps it’s time to take that trip out of country you’ve been wanting to take for years.
I don’t know about you, but 2017 seemed to whiz by, seeming simultaneously so full and so fast. Now the holiday season is wrapping up, and there’s nowhere to look but ahead. I think it’s time to go out with a bang.
New Year’s Eve is the biggest going-out holiday of the year, and Reno sure knows how to celebrate it. Sure, you can head straight to your favorite local bar for the usual cocktail, a great crowd and maybe some music to keep things going past midnight, but the city is so full of awesome once-a-year parties. There’s a big mix with something for every kind of partier, but don’t worry – each of the following has plenty of champagne!
Let’s start with the party catered directly to the food lover. Wild River Grille, the incredible seafood-and-more restaurant and bar occupying the first floor of the famous century-old Riverside Hotel building. New Year’s Eve sees the Wild River Grille offering up a multi-course dinner with citrus salad, sweet potato bisque and a choice of halibut, filet mignon, vegetable curry or duck. Spend the last few hours of 2017 in a beautiful historic building right on the Truckee River, eating some of the finest food Reno has to offer. Tickets are $89 per person.
Those looking for the city’s most exclusive party should look to The Depot. Fourth Street’s great distillery/restaurant, created in an actual former train depot, is a classy spot any other night of the year for sure, but the spot is celebrating its three-year anniversary in the utmost style: a Great Gatsby-themed cocktail party. Come early in the night dressed in your best 1920s tuxedo/flapper garb and enjoy an open bar (with all of The Depot’s own craft spirits), specialty hors d'oeuvres made only for this occasion and many, many glasses of champagne. This one’s worthy of Gatsby himself. Tickets are $80.
Just about every major casino resort in the Reno area has something up its sleeve for December 31, it’s just a matter of when and where. At Grand Sierra Resort, the LEX Nightclub party sounds especially fun. A Night to Remember starts at 8 p.m. with a two-hour open bar as well as a dance floor exploding with confetti, balloons and party favors. For those looking for a true up-all-night-dancing kind of party, this might just be your place. Get tickets in advance from the LEX website.
On the other hand, there may be no better way to ring in the new year than with some actual live music. Whitney Peak’s Cargo Concert Hall has just the thing: Alice in Discoland, hosted by Great Basin Brewing Co. That’s right – find your way down this rabbit hole with the live funk, soul and disco of Mojo Green as you drink Reno’s favorite local brews. Dancing, flashing lights, champagne (of course) and a great crowd to do the hustle right into 2018 – what could be better?
So whether you’re wearing your top-notch tux or your dancing shoes out on the town this Sunday night, the perfect New Year’s Eve is out there in Reno. Wherever you end up, be safe and party your way to 2018 in Reno style.
For all other events this week, visit our Daytime, Nightlife and Community events pages, and Happy New Year!
About the Author Bryan Akerley
Bryan was born and raised in Northern Nevada and is a graduate of the University of Nevada, Reno. When he’s not writing, he’s keeping up with pop culture as a lover of movies, TV, music and books or out exploring the area through its restaurants, bars and nightlife. Then he’ll unwind by playing the drums or piano or spending time with his corgi, Teddy. 
