NYE FTW

30 best New Year's Eve parties and events in Houston to toast 2024

Four Season Houston throws two chic soirees.

Four Seasons Houston/Facebook

Houston, we made it. As we bid farewell to an eventful 2023, myriad spots around the city are ready to ring in the new year with chic, fun, cocktail-and-Champagne-fueled soirees. Many hotels are offering staycation packages for a fun — and convenient — way to celebrate and chill.

As always ridesharing and responsible partying is advised. Stay safe, and here's to a happy 2024.

Four Seasons Houston, lovingly known as "Houston’s living room," will throw two big bashes. Bayou & Bottle, the bustling downstairs Bourbon and Whiskey bar, will host a New Year’s Eve party will BELLOSOUND DJ, a midnight Champagne toast, party favors, and a photo area for those first 2024 IG pics. The fun runs from 9 pm to 1 am. Tables and booths start at 1 am; private event rooms are also available. Reserve seats here.

Meanwhile, Bandista, the swanky Four Seasons’ 1920s-style speakeasy hidden behind a bookcase, will host an intimate party. Guests who score one of the 20 coveted seats can enjoy the artistry and attention of some of Houston’s best bartenders — plus a whole new cocktail menu. The a la carte evening includes party favors and a midnight Champagne toast. 9 pm to 1 am; seats start at $50; reserve here.

Bandista Four Seasons Houston Steal away to an intimate party at Bandista in Four Seasons Houston. Photo courtesy of Four Seasons Houston

Berg Hospitality’s New Year bashes

All Berg Hospitality’s New Year’s Eve celebrations include live music, Dom Perignon Champagne specials ($75/glass or $295/bottle), food and drink specials, a complimentary glass of Telmont Champagne with an entertainment fee, festive décor, and party favors. Call ahead or book online at the these hot spots:

The Annie Café & Bar will be open on New Year’s Eve from 11 am-3 pm for brunch service followed by three seatings that evening for a spectacular celebration featuring The Richard Brown Band from 7 pm-midnight.

Turner’s is hosting its fourth annual New Year’s Eve bash in true New York City style with live music by Thomas Cokinos, with two seatings at 6 pm and 9:15pm. Black tie attire is encouraged as you ring in 2024 under a sea of gold balloons.

Emilia’s Havana is hosting its second annual Havana-style New Year’s extravaganza. Enjoy a bossa nova-style house band from 8-11 pm followed by a live DJ who will spin tunes until 2:30 am.

Annabelle Brasserie will be open all day on New Year’s Eve for a festive brunch or fab evening featuring a DJ plus strings combo performing from 7 pm-1 am. Or join in the next day for the inaugural New Year’s Day Hangover Cure brunch.

B&B Butchers & Restaurant is back for the New Year’s Eve celebration where a DJ and strings combo will be spinning tunes upstairs from 10 pm-1 am, leaving plenty of time to dance the night away after dinner.

Benny Chows is hosting its first New Year’s Eve to ring in 2024. Enjoy a festive lunch from 11 am-4 pm or dinner featuring a DJ and sax combo playing from 8:30 pm-1 am.

B.B. Lemon will be open all day New Year's Eve, so stop in for brunch or dinner service. No need to get all dressed up — come in for dinner or a late-night snack and enjoy a laid-back evening of celebrating with DJ Mohawk Steve spinning tunes.

Trattoria Sofia is set to be open all day for a festive brunch or evening featuring Houston's favorite piano player and singer, Bubba McNeely, who will be performing on the patio from 9 pm-1 am. Recover with the New Year’s Day Hangover Cure Brunches, available at the above restaurants except Turner’s, Emilia’s Havana, and Benny Chows, on Monday, January 1, 2024.

More New Year’s Eve fun

Children’s Museum Houston’s Rockin’ New Year’s Noon rings in the New Year at the stroke of noon with ball drops, just like in Times Square! Artistic talents will spotlight this celebration complete with noon countdowns, activities, and DJ dance parties. 10 am.

Lawless, the downstairs hot spot in the historic downtown Rice Hotel, will host a chic party where guests can enjoy a premium bar, chef appetizers, a live DJ spinning throughout the night, and a midnight Champagne toast. Stroll the grand Rice space and snap pics under the chandelier or on the terrace overlooking the downtown skyline. Reserve tickets here.

Break the rules at Lawless. Photo via Lawless Houston

True Anomaly brewery will be closed to the public for its special New Year's Eve celebration. Admission include a five-hour open bar with a premium selection of draft beer, exquisite wines, refreshing champagne, and handcrafted specialty cocktails. Nosh on heavy hors d'oeuvres, have fun with the party favors, hit the dance floor, enter for a chance to win door prizes, and toast 2024 with the midnight toast. Dress to impress with cocktail or party attire.

La Colombe d’Or, the majestic Montrose mansion hotel and tower, invites revelers to the mansion’s big Centennial with an elegant New Year’s Eve fete. Ring in the 2024 with specialty cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, cigars and scotch, a live DJ, dancing, and more! Don't miss the Telmont Champagne toast at midnight. Make it a staycation with a New Year’s Eve package starting at $599 per night plus tax and including two general admission tickets. Ask about other specialty New Year’s Eve packages.

La Colombe d'Or Hotel - Bar No.3 interior Bar No. 3 at La Colombe d'Or is a stylish place to celebrate. Courtesy of La Colombe d'Or

C. Baldwin Hotel will take the part back to the Prohibition days with Prohibition Nights. Look for fully stocked bars, gourmet light bites, party favors, burlesque performances, and a live DJ playing classic and current hits. Party guests who also stay at the hotel will enjoy express entry, exit, and re-entry to the event, and more. Tickets start at $110.

Traveler’s Table, the globally inspired restaurant, will serve up a sumptuous, four-course New Year's Eve dinner — think Viet oysters, salmon tartare, crispy pork belly, and more. Reservations are highly encouraged.

The Decoy will have a NYE celebration with $100 bottles of premium spirits, along with $5 Blue Lagoon and Branch Water signature cocktails, all day long. Dance into the night with a live DJ at 9 pm, and a complimentary champagne toast at the stroke of midnight. 11 am.

Chapman & Kirby’s throwdown will include four rooms of entertainment with heated, covered patios, a 360-degree photo booth, three bars, noisemakers, party favors, tiaras, hats, foil horns, hookah service and cigars, a laser show, hors d'oeuvres and light bites, and a midnight toast.

Hilton Americas Houston will throw a Gatsby-inspired soiree dubbed Gatsby's House New Year's Eve. Expect four hours of complimentary drinks, four areas to mingle, three top-rated Texas DJs, two VIP areas, party favors, and a casino night with prizes.

J-Bar-M Barbecue's New Year's Eve Whole Hog Party, an exclusive ticketed culinary journey, is limited to 100 guests at $40 each. The festivities will be enhanced by live music, including a performance by The Mighty Org. 11 am.

Albi Houston's unforgettable NYE party rings in the New Year with sophistication and style. It will be an evening of exquisite dining, champagne toasts, and entertainment that will set the tone for a memorable start to 2024. 5 pm.

Flying Saucer Draught Emporium will have a NYE Murder Mystery. Kicking off with a complimentary welcome beverage, the two-hour, interactive murder-mystery will wrap up at 10pm, so you will have plenty of time to ring in the New Year. 7 pm.

MB Speakeasy’s NYE celebration will have a ‘70s disco theme. A fantastic DJ will spin the best disco hits of the 70's and 80's. There will also be a complimentary champagne toast, where you can take home a commemorative champagne flute. 7 pm.

Redemption Square will host their annual New Year's Eve party on the lawn. This event will feature live music, entertainment, and fireworks at midnight to ring in the new year. 7 pm.

Numbers Nightclub will have the biggest and best NYE party in town with a $2024.00 cash balloon drop at midnight. And don’t forget about the complimentary party favors and champagne toast, also at midnight. 9 pm.

POST Houston’s NYE celebration will be a live one. Experience panoramic skyline views, multiple cirque performers, complimentary caricature drawings, live DJs, a live band, and a fireworks show at midnight by one of the best pyrotechnic companies in Texas. 9 pm.

Southside Sporting Club’s New Year’s Eve Party will kick off with free entry until 10 pm, accompanied by a complimentary drink for those who RSVP in advance. DJ Stevo will be curating an unforgettable New Year's Eve experience that promises to keep the energy high well after midnight. 9 pm.

Bar Louie is hosting a can’t-miss, 24K gold celebration. Indulge in a food and drink package for two that includes two appetizers, six drink tickets and midnight champagne toast. Tickets for the late-night celebrations are $100 and can be purchased online or at the door. 10 pm.

Hotel ZaZa Memorial City and Museum District always throw a raucous NYE bash. Guests are encouraged to dress to impress in their finest cocktail attire to enjoy live entertainment and photo-ops throughout the evening. Wine, beer, and cocktails will be served, along with hors d’oeuvres. 10 pm.

MaKiin invites you to a sensational New Year's Eve Glam Gatsby Party. Immerse yourself in an unforgettable evening filled with live entertainment, the beats of a talented DJ, and a complimentary champagne toast as the clock strikes midnight. 10 pm.

Movie Review

Reminders of Him taps into grief, grace, and the power of moving on

Photo by Michelle Faye / Universal Pictures

Maika Monroe and Tyriq Withers in Reminders of HIm.

Texas author Colleen Hoover has gone from being a popular writer to a full-on celebrity in the 2020s. The new film Reminders of Him marks the third adaptation of her books in just 19 months (a fourth, Verity, is scheduled for release in October 2026). All of her books that have been adapted so far — most notably It Ends With Us — are female-led stories that feature elements of romance and trauma, catnip for studios looking to appeal to the underserved demographic of women.

Leading the way in this film is Kenna Rowan (Maika Monroe), who returns to her hometown of Laramie, Wyoming after spending years in prison for killing her boyfriend, Scotty (Rudy Pankow), in a car accident. That relationship resulted in a daughter, Diem (Zoe Kosovic), whom Kenna gave birth to while imprisoned and is now being raised by her grandparents, Patrick (Bradley Whitford) and Grace (Lauren Graham).

Yearning to be a part of Diem’s life, Kenna tries to reconnect with Patrick and Grace, only to be rebuffed by Scotty’s best friend, Ledger (Tyriq Withers), a former NFL player who now owns a local bar. In running interference, Ledger starts to become closer to Kenna, discovering that her tragic mistake shouldn’t be the only thing that defines her.

Directed by Vanessa Caswill and written by Lauren Levine, the film features mostly surface level examinations of its themes and average performances, yet it winds up being effective thanks to a willingness not to rush through its storytelling beats. The filmmakers take the slow and steady approach toward the coupling of Kenna and Ledger, setting up their bond through a series of heart-to-heart conversations that makes any romance feel earned.

The majority of the focus is on Kenna reclaiming her place in the world, and on Ledger coming to terms with the fact that the person who killed his best friend is not inherently a bad person. The film definitely could have gone deeper in its explorations of grief and anger, but the sheer amount of time it takes in addressing the characters’ doubts and fears turns out to be sufficient for a film that’s not aiming to be considered a dramatic masterpiece.

It also helps that Caswill and Levine do a solid job of establishing the variety of characters that inhabit the film. Kenna and Ledger don’t always feel like fully-formed people, but they become so through their interactions with each other and the other townspeople. Lady Diana (Monika Myers), a girl with Down syndrome who lives in Kenna’s apartment complex, and Roman (Nicholas Duvernay), Ledger’s co-worker at his bar, help to broaden the appeal of the two leads.

Monroe has, to this point, been best known for starring roles in horror films like It Follows and Longlegs. While she does somewhat well in this role, her delivery is often more flat than you’d expect for a character going through what she does. Withers thankfully doesn’t remind viewers of his recent bomb Him, demonstrating a crossover appeal that should serve him well in the future. Whitford and Graham don’t get to do much, but their combined experience gives their roles exactly what is needed.

It may sound like damning with faint praise, but Reminders of Him is a competently made film that knows how to serve its core audience without insulting anyone who may not automatically be all-in for such a story. The filmmakers don’t try to force any of the key moments down the audience’s throat, and that stands out in a genre that’s not always known for its subtlety.

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Reminders of Him opens in theaters on March 13.

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