Zachary’s customers on Saturday should come ready to party like it’s 1999 — or at least 19-something.
The celebrations for the new year begin Saturday night at Zachary’s on Fifth Street in Columbus which is hosting their annual New Year’s Eve party, “Rockin’ into ’19.”
“We usually do a little party the weekend before New Year’s,” said manager and bartender Crystal Taylor, who is helping organize the celebration this year.
This year’s event is a 1900s’-themed costume party, she said. Attendees are encouraged to come dressed as if they’re from their decade of choice from the 20th Century — the top three of which will win Zachary’s gift cards.
Taylor said the idea for a 1900s-themed party came from the incoming year being 2019.
“It’s a play on the numbers,” she said.
The party, which begins at 9 p.m. and goes until closing at 1 a.m. Sunday, will also feature West Point band The Bonfire Boys. Taylor says the restaurant is hoping for a turnout of about 100 or 110 people.
But Zachary’s isn’t the only area restaurant who will help ring in 2019 with customers.
On Tuesday, downtown Columbus restaurant J. Broussard’s will prepare a special New Year’s Eve meal for diners with a reservation from 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Manager Whitney Coleman said the restaurant is typically open on holidays, including New Year’s Eve, specifically to “make customers happy.”
She added chef Beth Rogers always prepares special menus for those holidays. This year’s includes choices such as seafood gumbo, grilled lemon black pepper shrimp, a New York strip, Creole-glazed pork chops and desserts of lemon meringue cake, chocolate brownie or red velvet cake.
To make a reservation, call J. Broussard’s at 662-243-1480, Coleman said.
Meanwhile in Starkville, The Veranda is holding a dance party with hits from the last 50 years. It begins about 8-9 p.m., said owner Jay Yates.
“We’re going to start from the ’70s at the beginning of the night, ’80s, ’90s and then hits of the day, progressively through the night,” said bartender Mitch Bulley. “… We’ll have a DJ and music. We’ll have the dance floor and the bar ready. We’ll have the drinks specials.”
The party will also feature a New Year’s trivia game, he said, asking questions about events from 2018. There will also be a special late night menu of gourmet hot wings, cheese sticks, gumbo nachos and similar bar foods.
He added the party will last until midnight.
“Unfortunately because it falls on a Monday night we can only stay open until midnight,” Bulley said. “Now we’ll allow everybody to stay, have their midnight toast, their midnight kiss if you want that. But then we’ve got to get everybody out because by law here in Starkville we cannot serve alcohol after midnight.”
He said The Veranda hosted a similar New Year’s Eve party last year, though he wasn’t working there at the time.
“We had a really good turnout, so … we’re going to hype it up (this year) as best we can,” he said.
Some say they plan to rest Monday in anticipation of watching Mississippi State play the Iowa Hawkeyes in Tampa, Florida, in the Outback Bowl. You can watch the game Tuesday on ESPN2 at 11 a.m.
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