Las Vegas New Year’s Eve survival guide

By Gregan Wingert

Saturday, Dec. 31, 2011 | 2:01 a.m.

Here's a quick rundown of New Year's Eve events in and around Las Vegas, including what's happening on the Strip and Fremont Street, some tips for catching the fireworks shows and also some safety and weather information to help you drain off the last of 2011 and pop the cork on 2012.

The Strip

This New Year’s Eve the Strip will glitter with fireworks and celebrities and star parties. Several members of the Black Eyed Peas and the Kardashian family are just a few of the glitterati who will in town to lead the parties.

But get there early — the Strip from Mandalay Bay to the Stratosphere will be closed down starting around 6 p.m. and off-ramps nearby will be shut down at 5 p.m.

Fremont Street

Fremont Street will close around 5 p.m. and will reopen its gates for a slew of tribute band performances beginning at 6 p.m. and lasting until 2 a.m.

The event features two original bands, Steel Panther and Rock Sugar. Admission into the party happening under the Viva Vision canopy is $30.

Fireworks

The fireworks on the Strip start at midnight — but don’t get too excited when the test fireworks go up 20 minutes before the main show starts.

The illuminations will be rocketed into the sky off the tops of Tropicana, MGM Grand, Aria, Planet Hollywood, Caesars Palace, Treasure Island, the Venetian and the Stratosphere. The Fireworks by Grucci show is expected to last about eight and half minutes and is timed to a mix of music from artists like Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez and LMFAO.

Local views

For those locals looking for a killer view of the fireworks, but not interested in breathing in the body sweat of about 300,000 tourist, try the economy lot of McCarran Airport — only $2 for the first 30 minutes.

Or catch America’s Party broadcasted live by our news partners at KSNV-TV Cox cable channel 3 at MyNews3.com.

Safety and Weather

For those planning on indulging in alcoholic beverages this New Year’s, remember the Regional Transportation Commission is offering free transit services from 6 p.m. Saturday until 9 a.m. Sunday. And partygoers can avoid the hassle of driving by parking in one of the RTC’s park-and ride locations.

Metro Police will have added measures to crack down on those driving under the influence. Be sure to designate a driver this weekend.

Kevin Janison, KSNV-TV meteorologist, predicts tonight's temperatures will be about 15 degrees warmer than at the same time last year — he's saying we can expect the temp at midnight to be about 45 degrees.