00:12

Places to Shake Your Ass

Kava Lounge 2812 Kettner Blvd., Middletown. Ten DJs and electronic-music artists—including San Francisco weirdo Eprom—host “Timewave Zero,” a cosmic dance party inspired by the theories of philosopher Terence McKenna. $15 presale. kavalounge.com

Typhoon Saloon 1165 Garnet Ave., Pacific Beach. Perfect for collegeage kids looking for loud music and a chaotic dance party; the bar’s even throwing in a buffet to round out the night. $20. typhoonsaloon.com

Side Bar 536 Market St., Downtown. DJ Epic Twelve will keep you movin’ well past midnight. Then, from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m., DJs Kurch and Decon will take over for a New Year’s Day dance party. $35 and up. sidebarsd.com/NYE

F6ix 526 F St., Downtown. Booties will be shaking at this newish underground hip-hop club, where DJ Fingaz will be spinning a NYE set. $25 and up. f6ix.wantickets.com

Onyx 852 Fifth Ave., Downtown. The night’s lineup includes DJs Rags, Muzik Junkies, Dam and Dynamiq, plus complimentary cocktails, champagne, party favors and a balloon drop at midnight. $30. onyxroom.com

Stingaree and GuestHouse 454 Sixth Ave., Downtown. DJ Fashen spins a highly danceable set for the highly fashionable crowd. The party keeps going on New Year’s Day in GuestHouse with a dance party headlined by DJ duo Sex Panther. $50 and up for NYE, $10 and up for New Year’s Day. stingsandiego.com

Fluxx 500 Fourth Ave., Downtown. DJ Sid Vicious spins tunes, Chris Clouse rocks the violin and Rico DeLargo toots his trumpet at “Candy Ball,” a blowout featuring a human-size gumball machine and champagne toast. $20-80. fluxxsd.com.

Voyeur 755 Fifth Ave., Downtown. Disco-crunk remixer Mr. White and resident DJ Rifat Ziadeh throw a party with lots of electronic dance music. $50 in advance; price at door TBA. voyeursd.com.

Air Conditioned Lounge 4673 30th St., Normal Heights. A masquerade party with DJ Junior spinning the tunes. Revelers get a free flavored Van Gogh Vodka shot, party favors and a champagne toast at midnight. There’ll be drink specials all night, and $30 gift cards will be given out to the best dressed. $25 if you buy before Dec. 28, $30 after. airconditionedlounge.com

Ivy Nightclub at Andaz Hotel 600 F St., Downtown. Clasixx, Vokab Kompany, Hyena, Crush Effect and others perform at a party that also features DJs and a sexy dance performance by Lipstik Inc. Room packages are available, and bottle-service packages include party favors. $75. envysandiego.com

U-31 Cocktail Lounge 3112 University Ave., North Park. DJs Saul Q and Colour Vision play the raddest ’80s new wave. $10 progressive cover. u31bar.com

W Hotel 421 West B St., Downtown. Fourteen DJs will be spinning in five glittery ballrooms filled with champagne towers and live acts of all sorts. Expect a big midnight surprise. Room packages are available. $55- $80, plus service fees. thewsandiegohotel.com/nye2012

00:11

Spots to Get Your Eat On

The Pearl Hotel 1410 Rosecrans St., Point Loma. Enjoy a three-course, locally sourced meal at one of two seatings and partake in an unpretentious cocktail after-party with DJ Dex Diego. thepearlsd.com

Lips 3036 El Cajon Blvd., North Park. A masquerade ball with drag queens, two seatings and a special prix-fixe menu. $29-$49. lipssd.com

Grant Grill 326 Broadway, Downtown. Early seatings from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. featuring a five-course tasting dinner that includes confit of lamb shoulder and smoked-venison tenderloin. $95. usgrant.net/holidays

Sea Rocket Bistro 3382 30th St., North Park. The menu hasn’t been announced yet, but we bet it’ll include lots of Mediterranean-style meat and sustainable seafood. $65. searocketbistro.com

Starlite 3175 India St., Mission Hills. Celebrate with a three-course dinner (early and late seatings) and an afterparty or take the pre-paid three-drink package that includes admission to the party. $45-$55 for dinner, $60 for the drinks and party. starlitesandiego.com

Burlap 12995 El Camino Real, Suite 21, Del Mar. Enjoy a five-course prixfixe menu and drink cowboy cocktails all night long. $40 and up. wantickets.com/burlap_nye2012

Ave 5 Restaurant & Bar 2760 Fifth Ave., Bankers Hill. Early and late seating featuring a special menu with things like deviled quail eggs and caviar, local sea urchin and a roasted-beet salad. $60-$70. avenue5restaurant.com

La Valencia 1132 Prospect, La Jolla. A three-course meal with a choice of pork tenderloin, Dungeness crabstuffed sole or veal strip loin marsala. Dinner will be followed by dancing to music by Wayne Foster, a special tapas menu and dessert buffet. Dinner is $59, the party is $75. lavalencia.com

Searsucker 611 Fifth Ave., Downtown. A five-course meal featuring choose-your-own options with selections like scallop crudo, baconwrapped bacon and beef tartare. $75-$100. searsucker.com

Twenty/20 Grill & Wine Bar 5480 Grand Pacific Drive, Carlsbad. Dine on a fancy, five-course prix-fixe meal that includes 12 choices for appetizers, dinner and dessert. Two seatings at 5:30 and 8 p.m. $65-$85. At 9 p.m., hang in the lobby with cocktails and a DJ. twenty20grill.com

Bo-Beau 4996 West Point Loma Blvd., Ocean Beach. Lobster ravioli, mushroom soup and salmon are just a few of the goodies on the four-course menu. $49.95. cohnrestaurants.com

00:10

Places to Partake in a Champagne Toast

Riviera Supper Club 7777 University Ave., La Mesa. The Baja Bugs play at a celebration with a prime rib special, late-night grill and party favors. No cover. rivierasupperclub.com

Turquoise 873 Turquoise St., Pacific Beach. Bring your top hats, feathers and furs to this classy party featuring Latin music, tapas, party favors and virtual fireworks. $50-$90 presale; $100 at door. theturquoise.com

McFadden’s 731 Fifth Ave., Downtown. The “Wildest Irish Pub on Earth” offers up $1 drinks and a dinner buffet. $35. mcfaddenssandiego.com

Black Cat Bar 4246 University Ave., City Heights. The new laid-back bar offers comfy booths, pool and good music. No cover. 619-280-5834

El Take it Easy 3926 30th St., North Park. Get in on free party favors, champagne cocktails, oyster specials, music and more. No cover. eltakeiteasy.com

El Dorado 1030 Broadway, Downtown. Music by Adam Salter and DJ Groundfloor plus a new winter cocktail menu. $10-$20. eldoradobar.com

Vintage Prom at New Village Arts Theatre 2787 State St., Carlsbad. Relive your high-school prom, only this time you’re encouraged to drink. Ticket includes food, drink, prom pics, dancing, door prizes and a champagne toast. $75. newvillagearts.org

Midnight Masquerade at Bar West 959 hornblend St., Pacific Beach. Put on a fancy mask and sip champagne when the ball drops. There’ll be a premium hosted bar and hors d’oeuvres. $40 pre-sale. barwestsd.com

JP’s Pub 10436 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., Tierrasanta. Rock out with cover band Studio 8, and then knock back free champagne at midnight. There’ll also be party favors to get things extra rowdy. No cover. 858-576-2509

Speakeasy at The Griffin 1310 Morena Blvd., Bay Park. Party like it’s 1929 with a hosted bar, champagne toast and live jazz and soul singers. You can also watch sexy burlesque dancers, belly dancers, aerial artists and fire eaters. thegriffinsd.com

00:09

Ways to Go Gay

Urban Mo’s 308 University Ave., Hillcrest. DJ Jon Williams spins dance music at “Bear in the New Year,” a party for the cuddly “bear” community with prizes and a champagne toast. $5. urbanmos.com

Rich’s 1051 University Ave., Hillcrest. DJ Nikno and Kiki spin tunes at “Massive,” a blowout that goes till 4 a.m. with a top-50 song countdown, a free champagne toast and $1,000 cash drop at midnight. Price TBA. richssandiego.com

Bourbon Street 4612 Park Blvd., University Heights. DJ Shane Stiel spins tunes at a free bonanza with go-go boys and a balloon drop at midnight with $2,012 in Bourbon Bucks. bourbonstreetsd.com

Eden 1202 University Ave., Hillcrest. Grammy-nominated DJ and producer David Aude spins the hits, then pop star Luciana croons. At midnight, partiers will get hit by a champagne shower and confetti drop. $30-$750. edensandiego.com

Numbers Nightclub 3611 Park Blvd., Hillcrest. Ogle greased-up gogo boys while shaking it to top-40 pop-hit remixes. Blow on free party favors and toast with champagne when the ball drops. $10 pre-sale. numberssd.com

The Flame 3780 Park Blvd., Hillcrest. Goth-cabaret band London Below performs at a special edition of Club Sabbat. DJs Robin Roth, John C and Liquid Grey also spin spooky tunes. $10. clubsabbat.net

The Eagle 3040 North Park Way, North Park. This raunchy bar hosts a celebration with party favors, an hors d’oeuvres buffet, champagne toast and a balloon drop with more than $300 in cash and prizes. No cover. sandiegoeagle.com

Gossip Grill 1440 University Ave., Hillcrest. DJ Dida spins a set, and the bubbly will be available at midnight. If you can muster it, come back for the champagne brunch in the morning. No cover. thegossipgrill.com

BabyCakes 3766 Fifth Ave., Hillcrest. Specialty cocktails and cupcakes make this bar-meets-bakery one of the sweetest party spots in town. No cover. babycakessandiego.com

00:08

Big Blowout Parties

Valley View Casino Center 3500 Sports Arena Blvd., Sports Arena. Dutch house DJ / producer Fedde Le Grand spins tunes at “OMFG!,” an electronic-dance-music blowout that also features Porter Robinson and Hardwell and drink specials at the Players Lounge. $89.50. valleyviewcasinocenter.com

On Broadway 615 Broadway, Downtown. The mega-club hosts a blowout with dance parties in five rooms. $30 presale; day-of price TBA. obec.tv

Sand & Sea New Year’s Eve Ball at Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina 1380 Harbor Island Drive, Harbor Island. Ring in the New Year with a 10-piece band, champagne, a five-course dinner and dancing all night. $175. sandandsea.tix.com

Big Night San Diego at Hilton San Diego Bayfront 1 Park Blvd., Downtown. Celebrate in any of 12 party areas. There’ll be live performances by Little Hurricane, Geezer, Mex and Heavygrinder, and four DJs get the party going. Tickets include drinks and food all night. $119.99-$279.99. bignightsandiego.com

Stone Brewing 1999 Citracado Parkway, Escondido. Celebrate Stone-style with food, live music by The Styletones, DJs, a midnight toast and more. stonebrew.com

Masquerade Ball at Palomar Hotel 1047 Fifth Ave., Downtown. A hotel party with Cirque du Soleil acts over the pool, gift bags, champagne, DJ Diggs, Decon and Slowhand. $50 and up. ticketderby.com/event/nye-2012-at-the-palomar-hotel-id-6971

Hard Rock Hotel 207 Fifth Ave., Downtown. Rage with the Downtown elite while 13 DJs, including Sidney Samson, get the party going. Table and bottle service and room packages are available. $100. hardrockhotelsd.com

VAVI New Year’s Eve Beach Party at Catamaran Hotel 3999 Mission Blvd., Pacific Beach. The sporty social club hosts a party with an open bar, multiple DJ rooms, a champagne toast and—new this year—a VIP champagne cruise. $129-$149. newyearsevesandiegoparty.com

00:07

Must-hear Live- Music Lineups

The Lafayette Hotel 2223 El Cajon Blvd., North Park. The historic hotel opens up the pool area, lobby and ballroom for a big party featuring some of San Diego’s best rock bands, including Transfer, The Silent Comedy, The Creepy Creeps, Low Volts and The Heavy Guilt. $35 in advance; $40 day-of. Hotel packages available. lafayettehotelsd.com.

Bar Pink 3829 30th St., North Park. Garage-rock cult favorites Beehive & The Barracudas perform with Christmas Island and Mrs. Magician at a show hosted by FM 94/9’s Swami. Comes with party favors and a champagne toast. $10 in advance; $15 day of. barpink.com.

4th & B 345 B St., Downtown. Mexican alt-rock-stars Kinky headline this show; openers include Karo Limon, Tech Game and Tony Sleight. $30- $55. 4thandbevents.com

The Casbah 2501 Kettner Blvd., Middletown. Long Beach garage-rock greats The Growlers play with psychrockers Tomorrow’s Tulips, mystical post-punks Tropical Popsicle and rockers The Abigails. $20 in advance; $24 day-of. casbahmusic.com

Soda Bar 3615 El Cajon Blvd., City Heights. Hard-chugging, fun-loving post-rock duo El Ten Eleven play two sets. $15. sodabarmusic.com

Til-Two Club 4746 El Cajon Blvd., City Heights. Face-shredding rockers Grand Tarantula play with old-fashioned rock ’n’ rollers Stephen Rey & The Slicks, soul favorites Lady Dottie & The Diamonds, hard-rockers The Bloody Hollies and Frank Sinatra-loving band Westside Inflection. $15 in advance; $20 day-of. tiltwoclub.com

Shakedown Bar 3048 Midway Drive, Sports Arena. This punk-rock dive hosts a free show with thrashmetal trio Nihilist, rock ’n’ rollers The Strikers, hardcore punks Coda Reactor and Bad Brains-lovers Deadbeat Diablos. theshakedownsd.com

00:06

Lower-Key Shindigs

Eleven 3519 El Cajon Blvd., City Heights. Jump onstage to sing punkrock karaoke backed by a live band featuring veteran rockers Dean Reis, Cody Young and Thaddeus Robles. $12. elevensandiego.com

New Year’s Comedy Show at National Comedy Theatre 3717 India St., Mission Hills. Laugh out loud as the NCT improv troupe performs, then party with the cast. A catered buffet will be available before and after the show as well as a champagne toast at midnight and party favors. $69. nationalcomedy.com

Ruby Red New Year’s Eve Party at Jean Isaac’s San Diego Dance Theater 2650 Truxton Road, Point Loma. Keep it classy with tapas-style dinner and bar, a performance by company dancers and a set by rock band Stinky Felix. $125. sandiegodancetheater.org

Victory Theater 2558 Imperial Ave., Logan Heights. Spend the evening with the Technomania Circus. There’ll be live bands, DJs and punk-rock accordion. $10-$15. technomaniacircus.com

Vin de Syrah 901 Fifth Ave., Downtown. A masquerade-themed party with burlesque performances and DJ Mikey Beats. $40 and up. syrahwineparlor.com

Luce Loft 1037 J St., East Village. Sezio presents a black-tie dance party with projections from Charles Bergquist, a photo-booth installation from Tommy McAdams and a DJ set by Jamuel Saxon. $20. tinyurl.com/luce-loft-nye

00:05

Family-Fun Celebrations

World Beat Center 2100 Park Blvd., Balboa Park. Bring your granola-loving family to “New Years Eve Ascension 2012,” an alternative celebration featuring meditation, a community drum circle, vegetarian cuisine and more. Admission by voluntary donation. worldbeatcenter.org.

Kid’s New Year’s Eve at Legoland 1 Legoland Drive, Carlsbad. Midnight strikes early for the kiddies with live music from Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band, Lyndsey Cannon and more. Countdown to the New Year at 6 p.m. with a Lego-brick drop and fireworks. $62-$72. california.legoland.com

New Children’s Museum 200 W. Island Ave., Downtown. Party with the kids on Friday and reserve Saturday night for adult fun. Ring in 2012 with an all-day music and dance festival featuring Pink Army, Rhythm Child, Clint Perry & The Boo Hoo Crew, Studio FX, San Diego Guild of Puppetry and others. Free with museum admission. thinkplaycreate.org

Red Bull New Year No Limits Take the family to watch snowmobile ace Levi Lavallee and FMX legend Robbie Maddison attempt to set new long-distance records in jumping a water gap at Embarcadero Marina Park, Downtown. Jump happens at 8 p.m. redbullusa.com

Jungle Bells at the San Diego Zoo, 2920 Zoo Drive, Balboa Park. The zoo’s been transformed into a wintery wonderland. The kids will dig it. sandiegozoo.org/junglebell

00:04

Cheap Thrillls

Tin Can Ale House 1863 Fifth Ave., Bankers Hill. Folkies River City headline a show with The western Set, V Drago and DJ Gonzo. $5. thetincan1.wordpress.com.

Winstons 1921 Bacon St., Ocean Beach. Roots-reggae favorites The Devastators put on a free dance party. winstonsob.com.

Booty Bassment at Whistle Stop 2236 fern St., South Park. Shake your rump to the dopest rap jams brought to you by DJ Dimitri and guests. They’ll give out free mix CDs and champagne at midnight. $10. whistlestopbar.com

The Local 1065 Fourth Ave., Downtown. Keep it cheap and easy with a champagne toast, party hats, drink specials and acoustic reggae jams from Felix Sablan. Then dance the night away with DJ Effren Villian. Progressive cover starts at $10. thelocalsandiego.com

00:03

Parties in Tijuana

Moustache Calle Madero between Calle Sexta and Calle Séptima, Tijuana. This place may be small, but it’ll pack a big party punch. Just watch your head on the ceiling. facebook. com/moustachetijuana

Porky’s Place 1210 Calle Sexta., Tijuana. Dance the night away to a mega mix of ’80s favorites. porkysplace.mx.com

La Mezcalera 22000 Calle Sexta., Tijuana. The TJ hotspot will be bursting with special guest DJs, confetti, party favors and lots of dancing. As usual, there’s plenty of beer, flavored mezcals and chile-covered crickets to snack on. No cover. facebook.com/lamezcalera

00:02

Romantic Nights for Two

Midnight Kiss at Sweet Heart Lounge 655 G St., Downtown. Cozy up with your sweetheart and get a warm and tingly feeling courtesy of a four-hour premium open bar. Count down to 2012 with a champagne toast. $100-$185. californianightlife.com

Gatsby Night at Westgate Hotel 1055 Second Ave., Downtown. A Great Gatsby-inspired night featuring a wine-pairing dinner and romantic music by Gregory Page. $149. westgatehotel.com

00:01

Best Bet

Stay at home with a nice dinner, a bottle of cheap champagne and the new Ryan Adams album.