From James Beard Awards to record tourism visitation, it’s been a momentous year in Oklahoma City — the kind of year that deserves to go out in style. Fortunately, there are plenty of events and destinations in which to raise a Champagne glass to New Year’s Eve 2023. From Roaring Twenties-era parties to opulent shows, events and wine lists, here is where to celebrate New Year’s Eve in the Modern Frontier.
The Skirvin Hotel
No one throws a party like the Great Gatsby, which is why the de facto New Year’s Eve soiree this year is the gilded-age fete being held at the historic Skirvin Hotel. Dubbed Gatsby’s House and held in true Gatsby style, the event features five hours of pre-paid premium drinks with DJs, casino games, three areas to mix and mingle, party favors, passed appetizers and an end-of-the-night countdown in a ballroom. Naturally, guests are encouraged to come in their finest Gatsby-era flapper fashion, and the party runs from 8:30 p.m. until 1:30 a.m. Tickets start at $95 per person and can be purchased here.
Civic Center Music Hall
New Year’s Eve is a time for pomp, circumstance and pageantry, all of which take the literal stage at the Civic Center Music Hall for Adèle Wolf’s New Year’s Eve Follies. The show’s titular performer is a consummate entertainer, bringing a Las Vegas-inspired revue to the music hall with showgirls and circus acts. The event begins at 10 p.m., and Champagne will be on-hand for a midnight toast. Tickets start at $57 and can be purchased here.
Bar K
At Bar K, New Year’s Eve is for the dogs. Likely the only place in Oklahoma City where your dog can have his/her own doggie wine (or doggie beer, if they prefer), the dog park restaurant and bar is hosting a sure-to-be-adorable Noon Year’s Eve event on Dec. 31, kicking off the festivities a little bit earlier for our four-legged family members. While you play fetch, be sure to ring in the noon celebration by watching a giant tennis ball get lowered.
Burn
When the theme for the New Year’s Eve party is 24 Carat Gold, you know it’s going to be decadent. Indeed, the gilded affair is taking place at Burn, the cigar and cocktail bar from Rocky Patel, in Chisholm Creek. Beginning at 7 p.m., the event promises a night of “luxury, laughter, and libations,” with specialty drinks, featured cigars, live entertainment, and of course, a golden dress code. Admission is free, and menu specials are a la carte.
Oklahoma City Museum of Art
It’s a family affair at the New Year’s Eve Eve party taking place at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art, where a noon shindig includes scavenger hunts and sketching activities throughout the galleries, plus the fun opportunity for kids to create their own crowns. The lobby, meanwhile, will be fully stocked with punch and cookies, and a balloon drop takes place at noon. The event runs from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Dec. 30, and tickets for adults are $16.95.
Tower Theatre
Get your groove on at Tower Theatre this New Year’s Eve, when the vaunted music venue hosts an evening of disco, soul, blues and R&B. Dubbed Uptown Get Down, the lineup includes the spirited stylings of musicians Thunder Jackson, Stepmom, and Blue Morrison, with Nia Moné as host. There will be a Champagne toast at midnight, followed by a disco dance party until 2 a.m. Doors open at 8:30 p.m., with performances throughout the evening. General admission is free, but reservations can be made here, along with upgrades for premium tables and premium drinks.
Grey Sweater
In case you’re looking to end 2023 on a high note, you can’t do any better than a personalized tasting menu at the fine dining restaurant that won chef Andrew Black a James Beard Award this year. At his heralded Deep Deuce destination, Grey Sweater, the chef is hosting a lavish New Year’s Eve dinner experience, featuring personalized multi-course tasting menus, from 5 p.m. until midnight, for $450 per person. If you’re looking to live large, this is the occasion for it, and tickets can be purchased here.
Library of Distilled Spirits
Raise your glass, and celebrate the arrival of 2024 at the Library of Distilled Spirits. Tickets include access to delectable passed canapés and food stations, a New Year's Eve countdown featuring a midnight toast and a DJ from 7 p.m. to 1 am.
