New Year's Eve Party 2011 Rusty's Milliken's and Sandbar
- January 7, 2011
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- By Surf Guru
New Year’s Eve at the Beach
On New Year’s Eve, I visited a few of the hot spots out at the beach to check out the various celebrations. I spent the most time at Milliken’s Reef in Port Canaveral with several of my good friends. We arrived around 8:30, before the majority of the crowd showed up, and secured a table in the sand near Milliken’s outdoor stage. We had a good seafood dinner and eagerly awaited the headliner band Junior Doctor to hit the stage.
Around 9pm, Junior Doctor kicked the party off with a cover of the Black Eyed Peas’ “I Gotta Feeling,” setting the tone for an upbeat night. I thought the band was very charismatic on stage, with the lead singer and his band-mates too stopping between songs to chat up the audience and make jokes. The crowd loved their happy, positive vibe and tight delivery of both original rock songs and pop covers as well. They played originals such as “What I Do” (my favorite of the night) and “Perfect Girl” off their brand-new album, and an eclectic mix of covers, including Kiss’s “Rock and Roll All Nite,” Lady Gaga’s “Just Dance,” and Weezer’s “Buddy Holly.”
In between band sets, the crowd was treated to performances by the very talented Vibe Dancers, who incorporated hip-hop dance, gymnastics, and aerial silk acrobatics into unique, energetic routines. This, coupled with the team’s funky, bright-colored, futuristic costumes made for stunning eye candy up on the stage. This was by far my favorite part of the entire night! I’ve really got to hand it to Milliken’s for planning a great show for the New Year’s Eve Celebration.
Additionally, Milliken’s had a Masquerade Ball going on, so many of the patrons and employees were dressed accordingly with masks, feathers, and other ornamentation. The huge crowd went crazy at the stroke of midnight, cheering, throwing confetti, showing each other some love, etc., and stayed on to party into the wee hours of the morning.
I also checked out Rusty’s Seafood and Oyster Bar while I was in Port Canaveral. The scene there was more low-key, with most of the patrons enjoying themselves by watching football at the inside and outside bars, or watching power rock trio “oNe” performing on the outdoor deck. Rusty’s was a nice alternative to the very crowded Milliken’s party for those seeking a fun but more mellow experience.
In Cocoa Beach, the Sandbar Sports Grill had a Rockin’ Reggae New Year celebration featuring the band New World Beat. The CB locals showed up in full force to make it the best New Year’s Eve the Sandbar has had yet. Many ventured out on the dance floor or chilled at the bar. Though there was a good-sized crowd, the easygoing vibe also made the Sandbar a less intense alternative to the raging party up at Milliken’s.
A favorite with the Cocoa Beach locals, Rum Runners also had a huge crowd for their NYE celebration with DJ Anthony, and my personal favorite, DJ Apache, playing hip hop, reggae, top 40 and more.
All in all, the beach was alive with people ready to ring in a brand-new year together, and a great time was had by all, regardless of venue location. Happy 2011 everyone!
Thanks Courtney...