To help swing in 2022, many restaurants and venues are holding New Year’s Eve bashes to say goodbye to 2021 with good food and live music.
Beloit’s Merrill & Houston’s Steak Joint at 500 Pleasant St. will be having a celebration with live music. From 4 – 11 p.m. the restaurant will serve dinner, then from 6 – 9 p.m. Andrew Robinson performs and the Mike Dangeroux Band will perform from 9:30 p.m. – 12:30 a.m. Call 608-313-0700 or visit merrillandhoustons.com to make a reservation.
In Downtown Janesville, Genisa Wine Bar at 11 N. Main St. is having a special four course meal starting at 4 p.m for Friday. Tickets are still available, but won’t be for long.
“We will potentially accept walk-ins depending on availability, but there are not a lot of slots left. It’s a four-course menu with options for every course,” said Josh Pickering, general manager at Genisa. “There’s something for everybody, There’s also an optional wine pairing as well.”
The four courses include kale and artichoke dip with crostini, “Winter Baby” kale salad, three meat lasagna, sage and brown butter gnocchi, panna cotta and much more. Tickets are available at exploretock.com/genisawinebar or call 608-728-7964 for information.
There also will be an “80’s BASH” hosted by Holiday Inn Express and Janesville Conference Center at 3100 Wellington Place, Janesville. The party will start at 7 p.m. The event is $35 admission and the Holiday Inn is also offering a $149.99 room package for two which includes event admission. For more information, call 608-741-1929.
Lake Geneva’s Geneva National Resort & Club is having a NYE Bayou Bash from 7:30 p.m. – 1 a.m. There will be a Creole-inspred buffet with crawfish, shrimp and more. At 9:30 p.m. the 16-piece band Underground Sound Jazz will play. Call 262-245-7000 for more information.
The Rock County Public Health Department is recommending that Rock County residents keep gatherings small and consider being tested for COVID-19 before gathering this New Year’s Eve.
“Rapid antigen tests are a good option for timely results if they are available,” said Jessica Turner, public health communications specialist at RCPHD. “People should stay home if they are ill, have tested positive for COVID-19, or if they are unvaccinated and have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.”
Turner adds that if you are not feeling well and you test negative for COVID-19, you should still stay home to avoid spreading other illnesses. Health department officials recommend all people, regardless of vaccination status, wear a mask in an indoor, public setting. They do encourage everyone to get the vaccine if they have not already and to also get the booster shot when they are eligible.