Top Spots To See New Year's Eve Fireworks In South Florida

You don't have to endure the cold in Times Square or the crowds in Vegas to enjoy a spectacular New Year's Eve. Come play in the sun, sand and surf of South Florida, where your party dress won't be hidden by an overcoat, your heels won't break off from all the walking and the night sky over the ocean is nothing short of breathtaking as firework displays rain over the tropical landscape. In 2014, you can stay warm as you ring in the New Year beach-style at one of South Florida's top New Year's Eve firework shows.

NYE Fireworks Gala aboard the Musette Yacht
Bayside Marina, Pier A
401 Biscayne Blvd.
Miami, FL 33132
(855) 298-4395
www.musettecharter.com

Date: Dec. 31, 2013 at 8 p.m.

This year, celebrate New Year's Eve aboard a multi-level yacht, featuring climate-controlled decks, live music from one of Miami's top DJs and a full dinner buffet. Then, as the clock ticks to midnight, a special champagne toast brings the party together to welcome in the New Year. Tickets must be purchased in advance. Pricing for general admission starts at $135 per person or packages are available for couples and groups. The evening includes 8 p.m. boarding and 9 p.m. departure, an open bar from 9 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. and festive party favors. The yacht will dock at 1 a.m.

NYE at Bayfront Park
301 N Biscayne Blvd
Miami, FL 33132
(305) 358-7550
www.bayfrontparkmiami.com

Date: Dec. 31, 2013 from 8 p.m. to Midnight

New Year's Eve at Bayfront Park was voted one of the Top 10 Places to Ring in the New Year by USA Today – making it a choice that cannot go wrong. The event includes a free outdoor concert, a DJ dance party and a midnight fireworks display. The night is not only topped off with the waterfront fireworks display, but Miami's own "Big Orange" will be featured in the countdown to midnight. Admission is free. The pre-show festivities begin at 7 p.m. and the main show starts at 8 p.m. Participants may not bring personal effects such as coolers, cans, bottles or personal fireworks.

City of Miami Beach NYE Celebration
Ocean Drive & 8th St.
Miami Beach, FL 33139
(305) 673-7400
www.miamiandbeaches.com

Date: Dec. 31, 2013 from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Miami Beach is the place to ring in the New Year in 2014. Choosing to spend your evening in the warmth of Miami may find you in the presence of a few A-list celebrities. Get in the middle of all of the best New Year's Eve action at the City of Miami Beach New Year's Eve Party. Gather your friends and head to the beach near Ocean Drive and 8th Street to enjoy live musical entertainment throughout the evening and a free fireworks celebration at midnight. The party begins at 9 p.m. and the festivities continue until 2 a.m. Ocean Drive is just a block from Collins Avenue, the home of some of Miami's top night clubs and hotels. You can have the best of everything Miami has to offer in the New Year at the City of Miami Beach NYE Celebration.

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City of Fort Lauderdale Orange Bowl Downtown Countdown
Downtown Fort Lauderdale
S.W. 2nd Ave. and S.W. 4th Ave.
(954) 828-5363
www.events.orangebowl.org

Date: Dec. 31, 2013 from 4 p.m. to 3 a.m.

Head to Fort Lauderdale for one of South Florida's largest New Year's Eve celebrations. The City of Fort Lauderdale and The Orange Bowl have partnered since 2011 to bring the annual Fort Lauderdale Orange Bowl Downtown Countdown to South Florida. This premier New Year's Eve celebration includes a free street festival appropriate for families, couples and gatherings of friends. More than 100,000 come each year to watch the spectacular event that includes a lighted ball drop at midnight, along with a variety of activities for the whole family including bounce houses/inflatables, face painting, games, contests and line dancing. Festivities begin at 4 p.m., and for the little ones that need to head to bed early, the event even offers an early ball lighting and countdown at 7 p.m.

First Night 2014
Old School Square
51 N. Swinton Ave.
Delray Beach, FL 33444
(561) 279-1380 Ext. 15
www.visitdelraybeach.org

Each year, Delray Beach hosts a family-friendly New Year's Eve celebration, known as First Night, along Atlantic Avenue. The event is a fun-filled evening for families with performances and activities hosted by 21 indoor and outdoor venues throughout the downtown area. The event runs from 4 p.m. to midnight on December 31. At the festival, you can experience a broad range of music, dance, theater, visual art and film programs as well as crafts, obstacle courses, face painting, carousels and ice skating. The evening ends with an exciting New Year's Eve finale at 9 p.m. (for those who need to be in bed early) and the traditional midnight countdown. The ideal locale for watching fireworks is near the Delray Beach 100-foot Christmas Tree, a local marvel as renowned in South Florida as Rockefeller Center in NYC. Tickets are $10 per person in advance and sold at the Greater Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce, City Hall, Delray Beach Public Library, Delray News and Tobacco and Old School Square. On the day of the event, tickets will be $15 and on sale from 10 a.m. until midnight at the 100-foot Christmas Tree.

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Danielle Tworek is a freelance writer whose work can be found on Examiner.com.