By Charly SHELTON

New Year’s Eve is just around the corner and Crescenta Valley bars and restaurants are pulling out all the stops to usher in the next decade. Let’s take a look at what some of the popular spots will be up to.

Avignone’s. Avignone’s in Montrose was purchased by new owners earlier this year and they’re celebrating their first New Year’s Eve under new management. General Manager Matticus Abshire said he is very excited about the first big ball-drop celebration.

“We’re doing a Great Gatsby themed party for New Year’s,” Abshire said. “We’ll have prohibition-era cocktails, jazz music and a complimentary champagne toast at midnight to welcome 2020. It’s going to be a lot of fun, I can’t wait.”

The festivities kick off at 4 p.m. when the bar opens and run until 2 a.m. the next year. Costumes are encouraged, whether Gatsby-specific or just 1920s era.

“I know we all read [The Great] Gatsby in high school, but not everybody remembers the finer points. It’s okay, though; there won’t be a test,” Abshire said. “Just come and enjoy the 1920s atmosphere.”

For more info, visit Avignones.com. Avignone’s is located at 2321 Honolulu Ave. in Montrose.

Alissa’s Oceanview Bar and Grill. Oceanview will offer a special New Year’s Eve menu with plenty of champagne on hand to toast the New Year in and the old year out. It offers private dining for parties as well. From 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. acoustic guitar musician Chris Blakey will entertain as 2020 is celebrated. There is no cover for the party.

For more information or to make reservations, visit dineov.com or call (818) 248-2722. Alissa’s Oceanview Bar and Grill is located at 3826 Ocean View Blvd. in Montrose.

Casa Córdoba. Celebrate the New Year with a buffet style dinner at Casa Córdoba with Spanish music that is perfect for dancing. The restaurant is open at 5 p.m. and the music and dancing is from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. There will be fun events throughout the night including the Spanish tradition of the Twelve Grapes of Luck when people eat a grape with each strike of the bell at midnight on Dec. 31 to welcome the New Year.

Tickets for the night, which includes the buffet dinner and a glass of champagne at midnight, are $80 per person (plus tax and gratuity).

For more information visit, www.casacordoba.com or call (818) 937-4445. Casa Córdoba is located at 2331 Honolulu Ave. in Montrose.

The Crows Nest. The Crows Nest will be having a Roaring Twenties New Year’s Eve Party featuring Permashine. Everyone is invited to come to the party in their best 1920s costume. There is no cover for the party, which begins at 8 p.m., with party favors and a champagne toast. The Crows Nest is located at 7279 Foothill Blvd. in Tujunga.

Further afield, both Universal Studios Hollywood and The Queen Mary are hosting NYE events as well.

Universal Studios Hollywood. Universal will see the return of EVE, its ultimate party to cap off the year. Three stages will be set around the park for live entertainment, a fireworks finale to the decade will shoot off into the sky and guests can enjoy an assortment of specialty cocktails and eats, then post it with event photo ops. Tickets start at $129 and can be purchased at UniversalStudiosHollywood.com.

The Queen Mary. New Year’s Eve Past and Present is the banner event for Queen Mary’s year. An art deco clad ship full of ballrooms and stages will bring lots of different options for ringing in the New Year. From a country music stage surrounded by hay bales to The Young Bombs spinning their electric EDM remixes live to a secret Al Capone speakeasy with clues hidden around the ship as to where it can be found, there are many options to explore across the decks of the old ship. And at midnight, a fireworks display will light up the sky over the harbor. This 21 and older only event starts off at 8 p.m. and runs through 1 a.m. Tickets start at $120, and they can be found online at QueenMary.com.

  Charly Shelton