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# Santa Monicans set to party out
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/santa-monicans-set-to-party-out/
- Published: 2007-12-31T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-24T04:39:55.000Z
- Author: Kevin Herrera
- Tags: Business, Santa Monica, #archive-import

which will include non-alcoholic beverages for guests who don’t drink. Kannan said he just purchased his home a few months ago so many of his friends have not seen it yet, so he’s anxious to show it off.

“I just felt like I wanted to do something fun for my friends and keep the cost down,” said Kannan, 35.“I’m having my guests bring their favorite drinks and I’m supplying the food and, if need be, some beds for them to sleep in so they don’t drive home drunk. It’s going to be a small gathering, pretty intimate, which I think is better than going out to a crowded club and pay for over-priced drinks.”

No matter what a person prefers, there are plenty of options out there to choose from in Santa Monica.

Many restaurants and hotels are offering dinner specials with entertainment and a free champagne toast, with prices ranging from $40 at the Spitfire Grill, to more than $130 at Abode, an upscale restaurant and lounge off Ocean Avenue.

Then there are the nightclubs such as the popular Temple Bar, which is partnering with KCRW to present a “psychedelic, pop, and rock New Year’s Eve”with Dengue Fever, a local band led by Cambodian songstress Ch’hom Nimol. Tickets at the door are $40.

Harvelle’s, Santa Monica’s “original speak easy” will be hosting a ‘20s and ‘30s ball, which promises to have 2,000 pounds of blues and party favors from the era, including boas, fedoras and tiaras, as well as a champagne toast. The night will feature Rick Holstrom. Tickets are $30.

And at Zanzibar on Fifth Street people will be able to dance the night away with Breakestra, an orchestra that specializes in break beats from the likes of James Brown and Parliament Funkadelic. Tickets are $40 at the door, with free champagne and party favors at midnight.

For those looking for laughs, comedians and musicians will perform for the Alliance for Survival’s Celebration of Peace at the Church in Ocean park. Tickets are $30 per person and $20 for those who are low-income.

The Westside Eclectic will also be throwing a New Year’s Eve party featuring stand-up comedy and a “mumbly, off-key rendition, of “Auld Lang Syne.” Snacks and drinks will be provided at a cost of $25.

For those looking to throw a New Year’s bash at home, party planner Jennifer Jerauld, president of Southern California Event Planning on Wilshire Boulevard, said the more simple it is, the better.

“Sometimes you get so worried about making it the best party ever that you do too much and make it overwhelming for people who do come,” Jerauld said.

What’s best is to make the party an intimate affair with music and snacks that are easy to prepare. Jerauld recommended throwing a party with a specific theme to help with the decorations.

“The ‘80s are very popular,” she said.“You could have people bring their favorite food from the ‘80s or dress up like their favorite character from the era.”

Another idea is to make a ball to drop at the stroke of midnight. A host can fill it with little bottles of booze, candy or other party favors.

“It’s all about staying within budget and getting guests involved,” Jerauld. “The most important thing is to not worry too much about making it the greatest night ever, but just concentrate on having fun.”

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on December 31, 2007.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/123107.pdf?ref=smdp.com)