Between that huge fireworks display and those exclusive nightclub parties, New Year's Eve in Las Vegas is sure to be a blast

So have you made any special plans for New Year's Eve yet?

Oh, I suppose you could go the traditional route. Schlep on down to New York City and then crowd into Times Square. Be one of the half million people who go there every year, stand in the cold and watch the ball drop.

Or - if you want to do something different this year - you can ditch the crowds & the cold and head for  Las Vegas. Where Sin City officials are planning on ending 2011 with a bang. Literally.

In the 8-minutes and 36 seconds leading up to midnight, Las Vegas is going to fire off more than 56,400 pyrotechnics to a pulsing musical soundtrack. Which will make this one of the biggest fireworks displays in the country. And given that these shells will be fired off from the rooftops of eight Las Vegas casino hotels, no matter where you stand along the Strip, you're sure to get a terrific view.

Mind you, some views will be better than others. Take - for instance - the view from TAO's outdoor  terrace. Given that this popular night spot is actually located inside of the Venetian (which - along with the Aria, Caesars Palace, MGM Grand, Planet Hollywood, Treasure Island, Tropicana and the Stratosphere - is one of the firing locations for this year's display), the view from TAO is sure to be spectacular.

Of course, given what's supposed to go on at this club on the night of December 31^st, the view on the inside should be something special as well. As hundreds of people pour into this 42,000 square-foot venue so that they can then take part in  one of the hottest events of the holiday season, New Year's Eve at TAO.

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Don't get me wrong. Thanks to its huge Buddha statues and elaborate Koi fish ponds, any time that you spend inside of this Asian-themed night club is going to be pretty memorable. But on New Year's Eve, TAO plans on moving things to a whole new level.  There'll be an open bar as well as passed hors d'oeuvres from 9 - 11 p.m. Not to mention a champagne toast at midnight which will be hosted by reality TV star Kim Kardashian. And speaking of midnight: After 12 p.m., you can use your TAO New Year's Eve pass to gain entry to its sister nightclub, LAVO at the Palazzo.

It's also worth noting here (as kind of an after-party perk) that - if you present your ticket stub at the TAO or LAVO restaurant on New Year's Day - you'll then receive 10% off of the bill for your meal.

Okay. Admittedly this all sounds like a sweet deal. But now comes the fine print:

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• Tickets will be available for pick-up at the TAO nightclub kiosk (which is located on the first floor of the Venetian, i.e. the casino level) starting on December 29^th.
• Any tickets that are presented at the TAO and/or the LAVO nightclub entrance without a valid photo ID will not be honored.
• Given that both TAO & LAVO are 21+ venues, no minors will be admitted.
• Proper attire is acquired for New Year's Eve at TAO. Which - if you're a guy - means a collared, button-up shirt and a pair of dress shoes.
• TAO & LAVO reserves the right to decline entry to anyone not properly dressed and/or visibly intoxicated. These nightclubs also reserve the right to temporarily deny ticket holders access to these venues due to capacity issues.

But beyond that handful of rules & regulations, New Year's Eve at TAO promises to be a pretty memorable way to bring 2011 to a close and/or kick-off 2012.

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And speaking of LAVO ... That Moroccan-theme nightclub will also be hosting a say-goodbye-to-2011/say-hello-to-2012 shindig on New Year's Eve. And just like over at TAO, LAVO in the Palazzo will feature an open bar & free passed hors d'oeuvres from 9 - 11 p.m. as well as a champagne toast at midnight.  And did I mention that the terrace at LAVO Nightclub will also offer a spectacular view of that 8 ½ minute-long fireworks extravaganza along the Strip?

Better yet, once that firework display are over, you can head back into the club and - thanks to all of those great tunes that noted DJ Samantha Ronson will be spinning - start 2012 off right by taking a spin around the dance floor.

So long story short: Between the thousand of shells exploding over Sin City to the hundreds of swells who'll be trying to gain entrance to two of the town's most popular night spots, New Year's Eve in Las Vegas sounds like it's really gonna be a blast.

So this year, why not start a new New's Year Eve tradition by trading Times Square's cold & crowds for a sky full of fireworks in Las Vegas? Just be aware, though, that - if you're planning on partying at either TAO or LAVO that night - you'd best purchase your passes ASAP. Because - just like 2011 - tickets to those New Year's Eve parties are expected to disappear very soon.