While some people prefer to celebrate the beginning of the new year with friends and family at home, others like to take the opportunity to get out and party in style on New Year’s Eve. For those who are looking for joints that will be jumping this Dec. 31st, here are a few options.

The Four Winds Casinos in New Buffalo, Dowagiac and Hartford, Mich., all have special evening plans for guests who attend their New Year’s festivities.

“At our New Buffalo property, Kenny Loggins will be taking the stage at 10:30 p.m.,” said Denise Martin, vice president of entertainment, food and beverage for the casinos. “We will also have a free show with P.S. Dump Your Boyfriend at the Hard Rock Café at 11 p.m. They’re hugely popular, and I’m sure we’ll see quite a few of their fans and future fans at that show.

“At both our Hartford and Dowagiac properties, we want to make sure we have lots of entertainment for our guests as well,” Martin said. “And, at all three of our properties, we will be having drawings all day and night on New Year’s Eve day and into the early morning on New Year’s Day. There will be some show girls out to welcome our loyal customers with lots of smiles for photographs for that big-city feel.

“We’ll be offering fabulous dining opportunities, as always. At our New Buffalo property, we’ll have lots of scrumptious holiday treats,” Martin said. “And, we’ll have the same great food we have every day at our Dowagiac and Hartford properties.”

More information on these events can be obtained by calling 1 (866) 494-6371 or visiting www.fourwindscasino.com.

Folks looking for a fun evening in South Bend, Ind., may want to check out the event planned at the Waterford Estates Lodge, located at 52890 SR 933 North. The doors will open at 8 p.m., and the party will continue until 1 a.m. During that time, guests will enjoy a three-course dinner, an open bar, music with D. J. Sean, and a champagne toast at midnight. Noisemakers and hats will also be provided. The cost is $150 per couple. Additionally, party guests can book a room for $50. More information is available at www.waterfordestateslodge.com, and tickets can be purchased by calling (574) 272-5220.

Another South Bend venue that will offer a special New Year’s Eve package is the historic Palais Royale. Guests are invited to dress in black tie — if they wish — and to arrive at 7:30 p.m. The evening will include hors d’oeuvres and dinner. A full cash bar and a specialty cash bar will also be available. The Tom Milo Big Band will be playing a wide selection of songs by artists ranging from Glenn Miller to Billy Joel. Midnight festivities will feature a champagne toast.

An overnight hotel package special at the DoubleTree Hotel is also available to guests of the Palais’ party for $95 per night. Tickets for the dinner party are $100 per person. Both hotel and party reservations can be made through the Morris Box Office at (574) 235-9190 or at www.MorrisCenter.org.

New Year’s Eve revelry will also be in full swing at The Acorn Theater, located at 107 Generations Dr., in Three Oaks, Mich. Their doors will open at 9 p.m. for a unique, non-traditional party hosted by Super Happy Funtime Burlesque.

The 14-member touring company will be at The Acorn as a part of its seventh national tour. While it’s hard to pin down exactly what Super Happy Funtime does, they have chosen the word “burlesque” for lack of a better term. The evening’s performance will include elements of a live band playing original music, a burlesque troupe and a circus act.

“For every 100 people dancing, there are usually 10 or so walking out the door,” said host and band-leader “Mr. Happypants.” “You either get it or you don’t; the right people get it.”

More information about the performers is available at www.superhappyfuntimeburlesque.com. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at door, and they can be purchased by calling The Acorn at (269) 756-3879 or by visiting www.acorntheater.com. A video dance party will keep the fun going into the evening after the performance is over.

One more entertainment possibility for New Year’s Eve is the special evening planned at Wood Fire, located at 134 S. Front St., Dowagiac, Mich.

Rather than waiting until midnight to celebrate the arrival of the new year, Wood Fire plans to toast the new year when it is rung in at different locations around the globe. So, at 6 p.m., as England celebrates, the guests at Wood Fire will toast the new year, too. Toasting will happen again at 8 and 10 p.m. From 9 p.m. until midnight, Anna James will be performing.

Wood Fire is also offering dinner packages that include an appetizer, soup or salad, an entrée and dessert. In addition, children are welcome at Wood Fire’s celebration.

“We have people who come in with kids all the time,” said Jennifer Hess, manager of the restaurant. “It’s not an adults-only evening.”

Hess recommends that event-goers make their reservations early by calling (269) 782-0007. The cost is $90 per couple or $45 per person.

“People should make reservations because between about 7 and 9 p.m., we typically don’t have any room left for walk-ins,” Hess said.

Whether it is a formal evening out, an alternative-style club night or a special dinner with the children along, Michian offers something for anyone looking to ring in the New Year.