From bonobos to The Boogies, a bit of everything on New Year’s

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See fireworks over Edgartown Harbor at 12 midnight on New Year's Eve. — File photo by Susan Safford

Ring in 2012 with a bang or with a quiet evening of acoustic music. A full-out New Year’s Eve bash, complete with fireworks, at the Harbor View Hotel and a benefit concert at the Katherine Cornell Theatre top the list of Saturday’s celebrations.

The Portuguese American Club in Oak Bluffs is starting the party early with a Pre-New Year’s Eve Dance Party, on Friday night, Dec. 30. Party from 8:30 pm to 12:30 am with DJ music from Donald Rose of R&B Entertainment. You do not have to be a member to attend, and there is no cover charge. For more information, call 508-693-9875.

The historic Harbor View Hotel overlooking the Edgartown lighthouse and harbor is the perfect setting for a New Year’s Eve blowout in grand style. The hotel staff will be pulling out all the stops, offering a fabulous array of finger foods in the restaurant, including passed gourmet appetizers (duck confit, caviar-topped potato crisps, etc.), a cocktail buffet featuring a raw bar, charcuterie, risotto and beef slider stations, and a dessert table.

In the water view Edgartown Room, The Sultans of Swing and two local deejays will provide music. There will be a complimentary champagne toast and the highlight of the evening — a spectacular fireworks display — at 12 midnight. Tickets are $75 per person and semi-formal attire is required. The event is for those 21 years of age and older.

Over at the Katherine Cornell Theatre in Vineyard Haven, Tristan Israel will host, for the second year in a row, an evening of acoustic music. Joining him are bassist Paul Thurlow for a set of his upbeat original songs, followed by longtime favorite singer/songwriter Kevin Keady. The proceeds will go to the Bonobo Conservation Initiative.

Mr. Israel, whose latest CD is due out in the spring, says, “Since my CD has a song about bonobos and primates are dear to my heart I decided to make the show a benefit.” The bonobo, also called the pygmy chimp, is one of two types of chimpanzees. They are an endangered species, partly because their Congo habitat has been decimated by war. The Bonobo Conservation Initiative promotes conservation of the bonobo’s habitat in the tropical forests of the Congo Basin. The show is family-friendly. Tickets are $12 or pay what you can.

The Martha’s Vineyard Chowder Company in Oak Bluffs has imported entertainment for a fun New Year’s Eve celebration. Singer/impersonator Jeff Davis will put on a show featuring the music of Frank Sinatra and other Rat Pack members, as well as Elvis. The show will go on throughout the dinner hour and beyond for those interested in enjoying drinks at the bar. Staff will be dressed in retro clothes and drink specials will commemorate the Rat Pack era. There is no admission fee, and there will be a complimentary champagne toast at 12 midnight.

The Wharf in Edgartown will host their second annual ’70s party with music by the retro band The Boogies. There was no better era for decadent partying than the late ’70s, so don your polyester best and bust out your disco moves for a fun flashback evening, which will include a free champagne toast. Tickets are $30, and the party is from 9 pm to 2 am.

Saskia Vanderhoop of Island Salsa announces a New Years Eve Latin Party at Deon’s Restaurant in Oak Bluffs. Dancing to Latin, Caribbean, Brazilian, and other world tunes starts at 8 pm, all ages are welcome, and there is no cover charge.

The partying will continue on Sunday, New Year’s Day, at The Ritz with a Hair of the Dog party from 3 to 6 pm. There will be music by Mike Benjamin, and munchies including shrimp cocktail. There is no charge. The party signals a short break for The Ritz, which will be closed for 10 days starting on January 2.