No Cover for New Years Eve in Clarendon

Don't have any plans for New Years Eve! Clarendon is very welcoming to last minute party goers with several places that don't charge a cover or sell tickets to get in. No reservations are needed at:

The Renegade
3100 Clarendon Blvd, Arlington, VA 22201
The new Mister Days maintains everything you liked about the classic previous bar and has a casual night with a DJ, dance floor and drink specials.

Spider Kelly's
3181 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22201
DJ Styles is playing here with plenty of room to spread out and mingle with the two bars and three rooms open.

G.O.A.T.
3028 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22201
If you didn't get into Don Tito, The GOAT is another great venue for a similar experience. Expect it to be packed but the two story sports bar has room to move around.

Galaxy Hut
2711 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22201
Clarendon's last true dive promises no drama and no silliness on NYE, just a fun time in a quirky tiny bar with a Vegan friendly menu.

Punch Bowl Social
4238 Wilson Blvd Ste. 1180, Arlington, VA 22203
Located in Ballston Quarter, the popular bar games venue is hosting a space themed New Years Eve party.

Free NYE in Clarendon

Here's a list of all the places in Clarendon that offer 2018 New Year's Eve celebrations without a cover or ticket:

Citizen Burger offers food and drink specials, free champagne toast and $5 snacks. They are also doing a New Year's day brunch with $5 bloody Mary's.

G.O.A.T. is throwing their first New Year's party for free with no dress codes at their "No Rookies NYE" night.

Rhodeside Grill will have DJ Welvin all night, champagne toast at midnight and free party favors.

Ms Peacock's Lounge, the back room at the brand new Board Room, has their full menu offered from 6 pm to 2 am with a wide variety of champagnes and sparkling cocktails with no cover charge. 50% off all Dom Perignon bottles. Reservations welcome but you can also just walk in.

Hunan Number One also has no cover charge. Starting 9pm, their usual giant beer specials and juke box.

Spider Kelly's has no cover and music by DJ Beneficial and DJ Storm.

Clarendon NYE parties with a cover

Continuing with Clarendon New Year's Eve parties, here is a list of venues where you will need to purchase a ticket ahead of time or pay cover at the door. See the previous post for free NYE events.

Whitlows party starts at 8pm and features music by Back To Zero. $34 ticket includes buffet, party favors and champagne toast.

Clarendon Ballroom will have Liquid A on stage and DJ Hurley providing music in the downstairs lounge. Tickets are about $100 and include full dinner buffet, 4 drink tickets, and champagne.  Cocktail attire required. Bring cash. Ballroom also offers a $2 coat check for the frigid NYE night.

Clarendon Grill will host live music by Turtle Recall for $55 currently, going up to $65 soon. Party starts at 8pm and includes 3 drinks, food buffet and champagne toast.

Mister Days general admission tickets are up to $45 per person now, and will go up to $55. That includes 3 drink tickets, a VIP entrance and you have to be in the door before 11pm. Also available are $300 and $500 tables for 4 to 8 people with champagne, drink tickets and red bulls. DJ Mario will be playing hits from the 1980s up to today before they show the live New York City ball drop on all 20 of their TV screens.

Green Pig Bistro offers $75 dinner menu which includes two appetizers, entrée, desert and either two glasses of either Malbec or Gruner Vetliner wine.

BaBa features NYE party packages in the swanky basement of Ambar. Their dinner party prices range from $55, $65 or $75 depending on table or bar seats and timing. Or you can choose to pay $20 cover at the door that includes passed canapés and a cash bar. The DJ starts after 9pm.

Barley Mac in Rosslyn has a $50 package starting at 9pm with bourbon and whiskey pours, passed hors d’oeuvres and a midnight champagne toast in the bar area only.

Ireland's Four Courts in Courthouse has no cover before 9pm, and $10 after that. Live music with Eddie Pasa. Free party favors and champagne toast.

NYE - The Fire Tonight at Iota

New Year's Eve is going 8-bit this Dec 31 with electric piano trio The Fire Tonight at Iota. Once again joining them are well known DC folk/rock band The Beanstalk Library and also The Cowards Choir. Cover for the night is $20 and music starts at 7:30pm.

NYE - Third Eye Blind Downtown Countdown DC

Lindy Promotions is again throwing a huge New Year's Eve party in DC this year with the Downtown Countdown at the Washington Hilton in DC. The night includes a five hour open bar (9pm-2am), dinner buffet, live music and DJs, comedians and karaoke to entertain 5,000 party goers.

This year's full music line-up features Third Eye Blind, Delta Rae, The Lloyd Dobler Effect, DJ Urban Cowboy, and DJ Dirty Elbows.

Use my promo code NIGHTS to get $10 off tickets, which range from $129 to $275. Special deals for group sales are also available.

NYE without cover in Clarendon

Don't feel like paying a cover charge or buying a ticket in advance to celebrate New Year's Eve tonight in Clarendon? Here is my short list of some of the local venues open for business and free to get into:

Bakeshop - For the anti-NYE crowd, this local cupcakery will have its doors open until midnight to server your final 2013 sugar cravings.

Bracket Room - Open at noon with no cover all night. My pick for one of the best free spots to go to, and probably will be crowded early.

Eat Bar - Complimentary toast at midnight

Fireworks - Good if you want Neapolitan pizza and beer one last time in 2013.

Fuego -  $5 Carlos Slim margarita all day, happy hour at 4pm

Hunan Number One - Giant beers!

Mexicali Blues -  Half price burritos all day and night; mini-champagne or Corona toast at midnight.

O'Sullivans - An early NYE celebration with an Irish Guinness toast at 7pm. After that live music by William Dickey at 9:30pm

Spider Kelly's - Bound to be packed tonight, with no cover or dress codes.

If I've missed any please tweet me the info.

NYE live music party at Iota

For this 2013 New Year's Eve Iota is throwing its 4th Annual NYE party. The night starts at 9pm with a $18 cover charge, and features three local bands and DJ Sam Snow to keep things moving between sets:

The Beanstalk Library
Derek Evry
These Future Saints

NYE party - Lindy's Downtown Countdown

It's not even Thanksgiving yet, but the New Year Eve party planning has already begun. First up the third annual Lindy Promo Downtown Countdown at the Washington Hilton on Connecticut Avenue in DC. Music will be provided by the Richmond rock Pat McGee Band, covers by Philidephia's Kristen and the Noise, Dave Matthew songs by Crowded Streets, and latin rock by Lloyd Dobler Effect, along with multiple DJs.

Ring in the new year with thousands of other party goers,with full dinner buffet starting at 9pm and five hours of open bar 9pm-2am. Prices vary depending when you get there and if you chose VIP status, but you can save $10 off ticket price with my promo code CNights until Dec 30.

NYE Legwarmers at State Theatre

Legwarmers on their first act

This New Years Eve I ventured into Falls Church to see the popular local 80s cover band Legwarmers perform to a large and brightly colored crowd. The State Theatre hosted the seven member band, which plays at this venue almost regularly.

More than half the crowd was dressed in over the top and fun 80s influenced fashions, including several Marty McFly and Top Gun impersonaters. My favorite was the super pink Jem (from the 80s cartoon Jem and the Holograms) singing along in the front.



It was a packed house in Falls Church

The Legwarmers played two acts separated by an intermission that left us all exhausted from dancing so much. Catching a cab home was almost impossible from Falls Church, so I ended up paying the surge pricing and calling in a Uber cab. But to soften the blow of waiting in the cold for a taxi, Captain Cookie food truck was parked next to State handing out free cookies!

Happy New Year 2013!



Revenge of the Nerds was on the screen
before the band took the stage

NYE in Clarendon

If you're still planning a New Year's Eve night now, I suggets reading this very detailed listing of all the local venues with their offerings. Thanks to the new Ballston Patch for writing up this article.

Personally, I would rather do something more low key and without a cover charge, like skipping between Hard Times, O'Sullivans, Carpool and Spider Kelly's. Of course all these places, especially Spider Kelly's, are sure to be packed to capacity, so try to head out early if you want a spot at the bar.

Also, its not worth trying to drive under the influence as SoberRide is once again offering free cab rides for certain areas.

New Year's Eve @ Mie N Yu

I can't attest to the New Year's scene in Clarendon because I was at Mie N Yu in Georgetown. The upscale Middle East / Far East fusion restaurant was very impressive and wrapped us in a rich and classy mood to bring in the new year. Entertainment came by way of belly dancers and a terra cotta warrior performer.

Mie N Yu offered a special NYE's menu for the night to simpify orders: either a Middle East or Far East selection in 3 or 5 course. Both were excellent in presentation and delicious, although of course portions are small and expensive (the soup was served in shot glass size for instance). I really enjoyed the Afghan style lamb from the Middle East dinner.

Street parking is limited of course and the metro is a long walk, so either grab a cab or park in the Colonial lot one block east for $18.

Highly recommended for a fun and classy night out!

Ballston bars packed day before NYE

I was not expecting Rock Bottom in Ballston was going to be packed beyond capacity one day before New Year's Eve. The venue offers its own custom beer menu (I recommend the Ballston Brown) , and attracts a similar crowd to its neighbors Union Jack's and Bailey's. At around midnight, there was actually a long line just to get into Union Jack's!

Our waitress confirmed that this is one of the busiest nights of the year for the bar, which surprised me a little.

If Ballston was this crowded, I'm curious about how packed the venues in Clarendon were at the same time.