Can’t Miss Alabama: Ring in the new year with celebrations and performances
Celebrate safely and responsibly. (Getty Images)
Holiday ideas heading into the New Year.
New Year’s Eve: A Viennese Celebration
Toast the end of 2022 with a nod to Vienna Philharmonic’s New Year’s performance and a glass of bubbly Saturday, Dec. 31 at 6 p.m. in Birmingham. Maestro Carlos Izcaray will take the podium to lead the Alabama Symphony Orchestra in a selection of Strauss favorites and more. The venue is UAB’s Alys Stephens Center. Follow this link for recommended parking. Buy tickets here.
The program consists of:
- Johann Strauss Jr.: “Overture to Die Fledermaus.”
- Johann Strauss Jr.: “Melodien Quadrille, Op. 112.”
- Johann Strauss Jr.: “Künstlerleben (Artist’s Life), Op. 316.”
- Erich Korngold: “Straussiana.”
- Johann Strauss Jr.: “Champagne Polka.”
- Leroy Anderson: “Classical Juke Box.”
- Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: “Waltz from Eugene Onegin.”
- Aaron Copland: “Waltz (Billy and His Sweetheart)” from “Billy the Kid.”
- Johann Strauss Jr.: “Tritsch Tratsch Polka.”
- Arturo Márquez: “Danzón No. 2.”
Learn more about the celebration here.
MoonPie Over Mobile
Ring in 2023 at one of the Gulf Coast’s largest New Year’s celebrations. Dig into the world’s largest MoonPie cake, join the second line, watch live entertainment and start the new year with fireworks. Find the only 600-pound electric MoonPie at the world-famous MoonPie drop at midnight. Third Eye Blind will headline the event on the main stage.
Festivities include:
- 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Kids Zone.
- Noon: MoonPie Drop for kids.
- 7 p.m.: Resolution Wall, DJ Blayze.
- 7:30 p.m.: Best Decorated Umbrella Contest and The Port City Secondliners.
- 7:45 p.m.: Cutting of the MoonPie.
- 8 p.m.: Second Line Parade.
- 8:20 p.m.: Opening Remarks.
- 8:30 p.m.: Opening Act: Levon Gray and Grey Area 51.
- 9:45 p.m. Opening Act: Red Clay Strays.
- 11 p.m.: Headliner: Third Eye Blind.
- Midnight: Countdown, MoonPie Drop, Fireworks, Laser Light Show.
For more information, visit moonpieovermobile.com.
Wonderland Under Warrior
Rickwood Caverns is transformed into a winter wonderland through Sunday, Jan. 8. The caverns will be closed New Year’s Eve but open New Year’s Day at 2 p.m. Click here for the complete holiday schedule. Wonderland Under Warrior, in the park’s centerpiece cave system, offers festive light displays, decorations and a number of characters available for photos. The cave temperature remains at 62 degrees year-round. Reservations are highly recommended. The entire walk is about 1 mile inside the cave. Rickwood Caverns State Park is off Interstate 65 in Warrior, about 30 miles north of downtown Birmingham and about 75 miles south of Huntsville. Learn more here.
‘It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play’
The beloved American holiday classic comes to life as a live 1940s radio broadcast. With the help of an ensemble that brings a few dozen characters to the stage, the story of idealistic George Bailey unfolds one fateful Christmas Eve as he considers the impact of his life. Kate Bergstrom will make her directorial debut leading a cast of five actors who will use sound effects, singing and quick character changes to bring to life this iconic American story. The production is underway through New Year’s Eve at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. Visit the website for more details.
Kids Confetti Drop
Have a poppin’ 2023 at the annual Kids Confetti Drop at The Wharf in Orange Beach. Kids whose bedtime comes well before midnight will get to ring in the new year hours early with a reptile encounter, rock wall, bouncy house, face painting, camel rides, mechanical bull and surf simulator. The confetti cannons will be going off at noon, so come out for a colorful good time the whole family can enjoy.
Events are Dec. 31 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Main Street and Palms Plaza:
- 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.: DJ Matt.
- 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Kids activities.
- 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.: Poodle show.
- Noon: Confetti drop.
Glow Wild: An Animal Lantern Celebration
The Birmingham Zoo’s larger-than-life illuminated experience, Glow Wild: An Animal Lantern Celebration, is underway through Monday, Jan. 16 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. The event is open New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Click here for the complete holiday schedule. Watch the zoo come alive with wild animal and sea life lantern creations lighting up the night. Take a ride on the Red Diamond Express Train or go for a spin on the Protective Life Carousel. Glow Wild is a weather-dependent event with nights being subject to cancellation. Tickets are on sale at birminghamzoo/glowwild.
Pajama Ball
The Wiregrass Museum of Art in Dothan will celebrate its 35th anniversary during the New Year’s Eve Pajama Ball Saturday, Dec. 31 from 7 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Partygoers will enjoy the museum’s galleries and event spaces to dance among the stars, lounge in the clouds and make memories from one year to the next. Festivities include a dance party, the ultimate junk food buffet and open galleries with tucked-away corners for board games, a movie marathon, fortune-telling, artmaking and photo ops. Wear elevated loungewear, robes, caftans, sequins, silk or whatever is comfortable. VIP options are also available. Purchase tickets here.
