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New Year's Eve is a time of celebration and the South Shore is a great place to be that special night! Whether you're spending the evening with the little ones or heading out with your fellow "big kids", we have a few events we think you'll enjoy.

FOR THE "BIG KIDS"

Grab your friends and ring in the New Year at Star Plaza's New Year's Eve Bash 2012.  This ultimate party includes dancing, comedy shows, drink specials and live entertainment all in 1 place. The Celebrity Ballroom hosts the Dance Party featuring DJs and confetti canons at midnight. The Atrium Party includes a special performance by the band Together.

TJ Maloney's Authentic Irish Pub is creating a festive atmosphere with popular local bands including New Element and Angelo Cicco and traditional Irish favorites.

You can also laugh the night away with friends at Wisecrackers Comedy Club featuring Floyd J. Phillips and Quasi Rockstar at 7:30 and 10pm. Or enjoy Damon Williams and friends at their Star Plaza Theatre.

Packages are available for all of these Star Plaza events. Click here for more.

Enjoy an evening with your special someone at the Best Western Plus Portage Hotel and Suites. The hotel is having a New Year's Celebration of their own where you can swim and meet some of the players from the Gary Splash basketball team! Overnight packages include tickets to the party, bottle of champagne, breakfast and a late check-out of 2pm. Reservations need to be made 3 days in advance, so hurry! Click here.

Families looking for a fun way to celebrate can skate their way into the new year at Deep River Waterpark. Every year the waterpark hosts a family-friendly New Year's Eve party with an early countdown with sparkling juice toast at 8pm, a DJ with ice skating and an open concession stand. The park will be open from 5pm to 10pm and cost is $5. Find out more here at www.deepriverwaterpark.com.

If you're looking for indoor plans for the family, the City of Crown Point is having a New Year's dance party with pizza, drinks and DJ from 2pm to 5pm at First United Methodist Church in Crown Point. Reservations are required. Click here for more.

For kids under 8, Bellaboo's Play and Discovery Center is the place to be! Join in the Bellabration from 2-5pm. Royal dress code is of course required and there will be a big bubble drop and countdown at noon and 4pm. Then find a babysitter and you have the evening to go out yourselves! More at www.mybellaboos.com

Lastly, Town of Highland will have New Year's Eve fireworks at Main Square Park at midnight. Skip the alcohol and bring the hot chocolate. Thanks to www.southshoreparent.com for listing this event on their site for us to find! 

So how do you get featured in Food Network Magazine?

• First, find a popular Christmas movie based on your hometown.

• Next, create an exhibit around it.

• Then, pick an iconic image from the movie and have a local bakery make a cookie of it.

• Finally, let people decorate the cookie at your exhibit. That's how we did it!

Our Leg Lamp cookies were an "On the Road" feature in the December 2011 Food Network Magazine. The magazine was looking for interesting cookie decorating ideas on the internet, and found our exhibit's www.achristmasstorycomeshome.com website.

Thanks to Cakes by Karen bakery in Highland, IN, our annual "A Christmas Story" Comes Home exhibit is home to these delicious Leg Lamp cookies.

Sold for $2 in our gift shop, these cookies have become a popular project for families visiting the exhibit, pouring on the pink, green and yellow icing before they devour their artwork. (I know you can decorate one better than mine pictured here in pink and green).

The "A Christmas Story" Comes Home exhibit is open through January 8, 2012.  

Bring your family by to enjoy the 6 animatronic "A Christmas Story" scenes from the windows of Macy's Department Store in New York, photos with Santa on top of Santa's Mountain 11-2 Christmas Week, letters to Santa, small crafts for $1 and, of course, decorate your own leg lamp cookie!  

Find out more about the exhibit at www.achristmasstorycomeshome.com.