New Year’s Eve will be marked across the North Olympic Peninsula with a variety of celebrations.
Here’s a sampling of free events and activities hosted by nonprofit organizations:
PORT TOWNSEND
First Night
PORT TOWNSEND — Admission passes are available to First Night, the Jefferson Museum of Art & History’s all-ages, alcohol-free celebration of New Year’s Eve.
All activities, which focus on arts and heritage, will be in and around Port Townsend’s historic City Hall at 540 Water St. between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. Thursday.
Passes are available at the Jefferson Museum of Art & History in historic City Hall.
Admission is by donation, suggested as being $5 per person or $10 per family. Proceeds will benefit historical society programs.
The celebration will feature live music, dance, storytelling, theater and hands-on games and children’s activities, plus the dropping of the anchor to ring in the new year.
New this year will be a live display of raptors — including a barred owl, a saw-whet and a red-tailed hawk — from the Discovery Bay Wild Bird Rescue.
Also planned are film shorts presented by the Port Townsend Film Festival, children’s games conducted by the Port Townsend High School Interact Club, storytelling and theatrical presentations by Key City Public Theatre, call dancing in the Pope Marine Building, a hands-on art project at the Jefferson Community School and music at Elevated Ice Cream and at the Boiler Room.
At 9 p.m. — midnight in New York City — Port Townsend will get a head start on the rest of the West Coast and usher in 2016 with the raising of an illuminated anchor created by sculptor Thaddeus Jurczynski.
That will be followed by an explosion of fireworks launched from Memorial Field and provided by David Chuljian.
The evening is sponsored by First Federal.
For more information, phone Kris Lawson at 360-385-1003 or visit www.jchsmuseum.org.
Rock, soul, R&B
PORT TOWNSEND — The Port Townsend Elks Club, 555 Otto St., is the place for a New Year’s Eve dance with the band Kevin Mason and the Yacht Club, which specializes in classic rock, soul, Motown and rhythm and blues.
Finger food will be provided during the event from 5:30 p.m. till 10 p.m., admission is $15 and all dancers are welcome to sign in as guests of Ed Hauser or Steve Workman.
For information, see www.olympicpeninsuladance.com.
Cellar Door open
PORT TOWNSEND — The Cellar Door, 940 Water St., invites the 21-and-older crowd to its New Year’s Eve party with local singer-songwriter Abakis plus Three for Silver, a self-described “junkyard folk” band from Portland, Ore.
The cover charge is $5 for the music to go from 8:30 p.m. to 1 a.m., and this party has a 1920s speakeasy vibe, so guests are encouraged to come in period attire.
Free glasses of champagne will be poured as 2016 begins.
For information, phone the Cellar Door, which is also marking its third anniversary, at 360-385-6959.
Hilltop dance party
PORT TOWNSEND — The Hilltop Tavern, 2510 W. Sims Way, has Jim Nyby and the F Street Band in for a no-cover-charge New Year’s Eve party.
Nyby’s New Orleans R&B, soul and classic rock ’n’ roll will go from 8 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.
For information, phone the Hilltop at 360-385-0101.
SEQUIM
Dinner dance
SEQUIM — Sequim Elks Club members plan a dinner-dance from 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
The band Round Trip will play dance music at the club at 143 Port Williams Road.
The cost is $50 per couple, $30 individual or $10 for the dance only.
For information, phone the lodge at 360-683-2763 or the office at 360-683-2763.
PORT ANGELES
Noon Year’s Eve
PORT ANGELES — The Feiro Marine Life Center will celebrate the eve of the new year with games, crafts and an ocean-themed “ball drop” Thursday.
The Noon Year’s Eve at the center, 315 Lincoln St., will be from 10 a.m. to noon.
The cost for members will be $5 per child; for nonmembers, admission will be $10 per child.
Recommended for children 12 and younger, the center will give children exclusive access to its marine exhibits and offer games, crafts and cocoa.
The ball drop will be at noon.
For more information, contact Melissa Williams at 360-417-6254 or melissaw@feiromarinelifecenter.org, or visit www.squareup.com/market/feiromarinelifecenter.
Eagles open to public
PORT ANGELES — The Eagles Aerie No. 483, 2843 E. Myrtle St., will hold a public New Year’s Eve dinner and dance from 7 p.m. till after midnight.
The buffet menu will include prime rib and salmon while the Jimmy Hoffman band will supply the rock and country music.
Advance tickets are $25 per person or $45 per couple, while groups can pre-purchase a table of eight for $180 or a table of 10 for $225.
The cost at the door will be $30 per person or $50 per couple.
For reservations or more information, phone Kellie at 360-486-4926 or the Eagles at 360-452-3344.
Lower Elwha youth
PORT ANGELES — The Lower Elwha Klallam tribe’s youth program will host a New Year’s Eve dinner and party at the Lower Elwha gymnasium at 2851 Lower Elwha Road.
Everyone is invited to bring drums, rattles and singing voices for the kid-friendly, sober event.
Dinner will start at 5 p.m.; then comes a jam session and slahal tournament at 6 p.m.
The Pomo Bird Dancers of California will give a performance, too.
For information and to RSVP, contact Anthony Fernandes of the Tribal Youth Program at 360-912-3152 or anthony.fernandes@elwha.org.
