5 Alcohol-Free Ways to Spend Your New Year's

Normally, we do a countdown of activities to help you plan for your adventures in the upcoming weekend, but with another holiday coming up, we thought we'd focus on everything New Year's.

On Monday, we told you about:

If thinking about the boozing, the binging, and the headache the morning after doesn't sound fun to you this New Year's Eve, try these five fun options:

• Host an alcohol-free party: You can host a themed alcohol-free party for your friends and family. Host a best trend-of-the-decade party and see what your friends come up with. Make gourmet fare to entice them, have noisemakers on hand and have plenty of party games planned.
• Plan a romantic dinner with your significant other: Light some candles and enjoy cooking something you've never tried before together at home.  
• Volunteer: Ring in the New Year by helping others. New Year's Eve offers you your last chance to do something charitable in 2011. Plus, many organizations throwing New Year's Eve parties might need help with admissions, parking, and setting up.
• Host an artsy party: Put out some art supplies and have guests bring some of their own. Attendees can paint, sculpt, scrap, or write about things they have reflected on over the past year.
• Pizza and games with friends: Order up some pizza, take out the board games or cards, and put on an old favorite movie. Pop the cork on some sparkling cider, and at midnight watch the ball drop on Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve 2012. 

Do you have ideas to share? E-mail Tim.Rath@Patch.com.