How San Angelo Spent New Year's Eve

Live DJ’s and live music, colorful lights, party favors and Champagne: New Year’s Eve lived up to its ‘Universal Party Night’ reputation on Tuesday in San Angelo.

Downtown bars were packed with so many people that there was hardly standing room. “Busiest night of the year,” said many bartenders and servers as they sought to sate the masses.

Grinners and Fuentes Café Downtown both had live DJ’s, and the small dance floor at Fuentes was continually full of couples.

Black Swan was a little more low key with jazzy guitar tunes from John Carl Escue. They got the party started a little early, with a toast at 9:00 p.m., and shut down a little earlier than most.

Blaine’s Pub was nearly full as early as 8:30 p.m., and once Dolly Shine got underway there was not room to stand.

The streets of downtown were filled with those walking bar to bar to celebrate the New Year with friends and family.

Shenanigans had 50 people watching the Texas A&M vs Duke game. It would seem that NYE was on hold at the sports bar until the Chick-Fil-A Bowl was over.

Manny Campos and The Red Tape filled the pub with their own renditions of favorite cover songs at the Penny Pub and Grill.  Dom Pierre champagne and breakfast tacos were on the menu. And the Stagecoach was standing room only when Clearwater put on a western show.

As a part of Arrive Alive and in Style, sponsored by Pinkies, San Angelo Limousine and LIVE! had the limo bus out and about.

The limo bus conducted 9 round-robin routes from bar to bar. Towards the end of the night, it provided rides for revelers back to their doorstep on a time-available basis.

As for the countdown to the New Year, Grinners passed out complimentary Champagne and counted down from 10 in unison.

After the clock struck midnight, cheers, party horns and the pop of hampagne bottles filled the air.

“New Year, new me!” shouted one party goer in the bar.