Oh, Bartender's Ball. That annual party that raises money for a good cause, gives me a chance to dress up all fancy-like, AND lets me sample the drink-making skills from bartenders all over the city. I'm so excited you've come around again.

Hosted at the Blake Hotel on Feb. 19 (7 p.m.-midnight), this is one shindig you don't want to miss. The people are beautiful and the drinks are ever-flowing. So ever-flowing, in fact, that last year, I missed one step coming down the stairs. Oops! I'll just blame the shoes! (But the fact that I remember that says a lot.)

And another bonus: All the proceeds go to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Through the end of the month, general admission tickets are $60. On Feb. 1, they'll go up to $70. These tickets include open bar with top-shelf liquors and full line of beers, catered food by The Men's Club, and entertainment.

Red Bull VIP tickets are going for $104.75 and includes top shelf liquor, private food section catered by The Men's Club, lounge cocktail sitting, and private access to the Red Bull VIP lounge right next to DJs and dance floor.

For more information, visit www.charlottebartendersball.com.

Adulthood has its perks, for sure, but there are also certain things we're expected to leave behind us. Like how past a certain age, most of us are hesitant to don a costume for anything besides a Halloween bash-unless you've fallen in with this crowd. To indulge the childhood spirit in us all, The EpiCentre and CarolinaNightlife.com are joining forces, in an attempt to to break the Guinness Book of World Record for the Most People Dressed as Where's Waldo (or Wanda), in one place.

Last year's event drew a crowd of 893, but if Charlotteans really want to compete, we better step our game up :the current World Record is 3,872 people and was achieved at the Street Performance World Championship in Dublin, Ireland last June.

Participants will all need to dress up as Waldo or Wenda. Costumes can be handmade or bought from any costume store. The Morris Costumes retailer in Charlotte has Where's Waldo costumes on sale specifically for this event! Hand made costumes must follow the set guidelines of:
· White bobble hat with a red bobble and red trim
· Clear Glasses (sunglasses are not acceptable)
· Red and white striped shirt
· Blue jeans
· Appropriate footwear

Waldos and Wendas will be given free access to all the venues at the EpiCentre the night of the event. There will be prizes for the first 500 guests to arrive properly decked out. At midnight the participants will meet in the lower-level quad area for the official count.

The event will take place at the EpiCentre, 210 E. Trade St. on Saturday, Feb. 11, starting at 6 p.m. If you want to revel in the joy of reliving your childhood, with all the Big Boy/Big Girl advantages, you can buy your $10 dollar tickets here.

This could be the last New Year's Eve ever, so you've got to party accordingly. We, here at CL , have compiled a massive list of shenanigans for you to examine before making a final decision on where you'll be ringing in 2012.

Allure Lounge: Nu Year's Eve party hosted Teice. Presented by Tom-Tom Productions and Nu-U. $10 in advance; free with flyer until 10:30 p.m. 1508 S. Mint St. 704-333-8555. www.allurerestaurant.com.

Bar Charlotte: The Last NYE Ever party includes favors, a complimentary champagne toast at midnight, mechanical bull rides and a balloon drop with cash and prizes. $20 in advance. 300 N. College St. 704-342-2545. www.barcharlotte.com.

BlackFinn Restaurant & Saloon: Flappers unite for a romp back in time to the Roaring Twenties. The shindig includes party favors, a complimentary champagne toast at midnight and light complimentary hors d’oeuvres served throughout the night. Don’t forget your feather boa. Tickets guarantee admission before 10:30 p.m., after will be firstcome, first serve. $25 and up. 8 p.m. 210 E. Trade St., Suite B-120. 704-971-4440. www.blackfinncharlotte.com.

Breakfast Club: The ninth annual Back to the Future Bash features three levels of festivities, party favors, a champagne toast and confetti blast at midnight and, most importantly — for those of you who haven’t quite moved forward musically - '80s and '90s dance mixes all night long. $20 in advance. 9 p.m. 225 N. Caldwell St. 704-374-1982. www.that80sclub.com.

Buckhead Saloon: New Year’s Eve party featuring beer, wine, liquor and soda, party favors, live music by The Scott Munns Band and DJ. For more information or to make reservations, e-mail buckheadcharlotte@gmail.com. $50. 9 p.m.-2 a.m. 201 E. 5th St. 704-370-0687.

Dharma Lounge: DJ Jask headlines and Identity Theft and Tag Techno host with performances from a handful of DJs — Jason Phillips, KT Caustic, Kev Kev, Nat Eichler and Proton Jones — who want to enlighten you with their spinning capabilities. Champagne toast at midnight too. $12 in advance. 9 p.m. 1440 S. Tryon St. 704-334-8336. www.dharmacharlotte.com.

Butter: Music provided by DJs Ciprian, A Huf and Edouard. To reserve tickets of VIP tables, call 704-295-1565 or visit www.ticketleap.com (keyword: Butter NC). 8 p.m. 950 Seaboard St. 704-295-1565. www.buttercharlotte.com.
Founders Hall: You can expect a New Year’s Eve shindig by the likes of Bluegoose, Inner Circle Events, The Sol Kitchen, RoundTable Ent. and M. Simmons to be pretty slick. Music by DJ C. Rob provided. VIP tickets include a premium top-shelf open bar and a food menu. For more information, visit www.nyecharlotte.com. $20 and up. 9 p.m. 100 N. Tryon St.

The Chop Shop: NYE party features music from DJs and headliner, Iron Cordoba, fetish performers and dancers from Single Cell Productions, booze, games, aerial artists and bellydancing by Niamia Sultana. $5. 9 p.m.-2:30 a.m. 704-765-2467. www.chopshopnoda.com.

The Comedy Zone Charlotte: John Wesley Austin, aka “cowboy comedian,” has lassoed his funniest material for tonight’s performances — yeehaw to that! The late show features a final countdown to 2012 with party favors and a champagne toast. $20-$22.50 for dinner show at 8 p.m. ; $30-$32.50 for late show at 10:15 p.m. 900 Seaboard St., Suite B3. 980-321-4702. www.cltcomedyzone.com.

Corner Pub: The NYE bash features drink specials and a complimentary champagne toast at midnight. Register between 7 p.m.-10 p.m. to win a $100 Corner Pub gift card (winner will be announced after midnight and must be present to win). 4 p.m.-2:30 a.m. 335 N. Graham St. 704-376-2720. www.cornerpubcharlotte.com.

Coyote Joe’s: $10 cover includes free party favors and a champagne toast at midnight. Doors open at 7 p.m. and live music by Out Of The Blue kicks off at 9 p.m. 7 p.m. Coyote Joe’s, 4621 Wilkinson Blvd. 704-399-4946. www.coyote-joes.com.

Dilworth Neighborhood Grille: New Year’s Eve party featuring four bars with beer, wine and top-shelf liquor, two buffets, a champagne toast at midnight, music from DJ Mike D and DJ Dynamite and more. $70. 911 E. Morehead St. 704- 377-3808. www.neighborhoodgrille.com.

The Dirty Martini: NYE celebration with free hor d'oeuvres (from 8 p.m.-10 p.m.), party favors, a balloon drop, a broadcast of the countdown in Times Square, a champagne toast at midnight, and guest DJ. $10-$15. 17036 Kenton Drive. 704-533-3054. www.lkndirtymartini.com.

Dixie's Tavern: Casino Royale is a Vegas-style New Year's Eve shindig featuring light hors d'oeuvres, alcohol, party favors and music by DJ Fat Kidd. Hosted by Crash of Kiss 95.1. $60. 9 p.m. 301 E. 7th St. 704-374-1700. www.dixiescharlotte.com.

Flying Saucer: Beer, beer and more beer — that’s what comes to mind when we think of Flying Saucer. Situated by UNC Charlotte, the crowd is mixed with college students and folks who are smart enough to know there’s good beer from around the world to be found here. For New Year’s Eve, there will also be party favors, a champagne toast at midnight, special drink specials and live entertainment. $10. 9 p.m. 9605 N. Tryon St. 704-568-7253. www.beerknurd.com.

Loving how the season of giving doubles as the season for partying, but finding yourself lacking in spankin' new holiday attire for each separate occasion? Marigny Dance Club is throwing a hell of a bash, and best of all? Pajamas are the recommended attire.

The night serves as a kickoff for the Twirl to the World event at The Visulite Theatre, which benefits Crisis Assistance Ministry and Toys for Tots. Another cause for celebration is Zuni & Jason's 14th anniversary.

Atlanta's DJ Mike Pope will be spinning.

1440 S. Tryon St., Suite 110
18 to twirl, 21 to drink
Entry is $5 cash

... it's the best time of the year! At least it is if you enjoy a spirited bar crawl topped off with guys and gals gussied up in their finest Santa suits. Holiday parties will soon be in full swing, but why not leave the hosting duties to the pros for a night? The 12th Annual Santa Bar Crawl, presented by Lazyday.com and Elevate lifestyle, offers alcohol aficionados and costume enthusiasts alike a festive tour through Uptown bars.

The crawl will take place at the following watering holes:

Fox & Hound - Town Tavern - Suite - BAR Charlotte
Prohibition - Tilt On Trade - Whisky River - Dixie's Tavern
Hooters - Wild Wing Cafe - Phoenix - Buckhead Saloon 

The final itinerary will be announced at registration.

The Santa Bar Crawl will take place Saturday, Dec. 10. Tickets are $12 in advance and $20 the day of. The first 200 crawlers receive a complimentary, commemorative Santa hat. You can register in person at the Fox & Hound Uptown from 3-4:30pm, or by clicking here .

If you have any questions or comments about the bar crawl, don't hesitate to shoot an e-mail to info@lazyday.com

If you were content to sit at home Saturday watching Clemson square off against Virginia Tech for the ACC Championship on Dec. 3, reconsider and come out to the pre-game celebration at The Shed instead.

Located right behind the Bank of America stadium at 610 McNinch St., The Shed offers a 120-inch projection screen, as well as additional big screen TVs, for your viewing pleasure. As any tailgating party worthy of the name demands, those in attendance can look forward to a jam-packed schedule of fun activities. Live music kicks off at 2 p.m. and games will be going throughout the day, with a beer pong tournament scheduled for 4pm and a flip cup tournament at 6 p.m.

The event is B.Y.O.C. (Bring Your Own Cooler) and if it's Miller/Coors drinks you're going to guzzle, your entry price is slashed in half, from $10 to only $5. Charlotte's very own Vic the Chili Man will be serving up his take on game day staples, goodies he calls “a towering beacon of hot dog light in a sea of mediocre street food.”

The party starts Saturday, Dec. 3 at noon and goes until 11 p.m. You can purchase your ticket here .

Christmastime calls out for events that match the spirit of our holiday carousing to worthy causes. This year, Second String Santa, the organization dedicated to collecting toys for Charlotte's less fortunate children, will throw its 23rd annual gala at The Fillmore Charlotte.

The popular event will take place on Thursday, Dec. 8 from 7 p.m.-11 p.m. If you've attended the party before, you know that guests are encouraged to bring new toys that they can donate to the Salvation Army. Admission with a toy is $20 donation per person, and $40 donation without one. Admission includes complimentary wine, beer and light appetizers.

Second String Santa has collected over 10,000 toys in the past three years, and has also raised money for school supplies that go to local children. For more information on how you can participate in this important night, visit www.secondstringsanta.org.

Two words: Thanksgiving holiday.

Two reactions:

1) Finally! A long weekend I'm expected to spend carbo-loading and shopping with my extended family!

2) Oh dear god no! A long weekend I'm expected to spend carbo-loading and shopping with my extended family!

Whether your turkey day traditions tend toward bonding or conflict, you can kick the festivities off with friends old and new at Tommy T's Turkey Spree V.

For just $10, party-goers will be treated to transportation to and from several area bars. The newly remodeled Tyber Creek Pub will serve as night's first meeting place. A mystery bar will offer an open bar, and crawlers can enjoy a variety of drink specials at other bars.

Schedule:
7:00 - Tyber Creek Pub
8:30 - Transportation departs for mystery location
8:45 - Mystery Location (open bar)
10:00 - Dandelion Market
11:00 - Connolly’s
12:00 - Prohibition

The crawl is limited to a group of 50 people, so reserve your spot here.

Who said nightlife and charity were mutually exclusive? This Saturday, Nov. 19, Tilt on Trade will be hosting a photo exhibit fundraiser and silent auction benefiting Carolina Breast Friends. In addition to providing information and comfort to newly diagnosed breast cancer patients, the organization aims to provide monthly meetings for breast cancer survivors, with a different focus each month.

The night kicks off at 8 p.m. with DJ Precise spinning. Those in attendance will enjoy a complimentary wine tasting, drink specials ($5 Martinis, $3 Liquor Drinks, & $2 Drafts) and light hors d'oeuvres, served from 8:30 p.m.-10 p.m. Artists Brittany Edmiston, Karla Eargle, & Courtney Parlier will contribute the photos to be auctioned.

Man, that headline could be SO misleading if you didn't know anything about electronic music.

Tomorrow night, Designer Drugs will be orchestrating the musical festivities at Le Bang at Dharma Lounge. In support are Black Matter, Pls Dnt Stop, Your Dirty Habit & Skitsnygg, with resident DJ Buckmaster.

Drink specials include $4 wells, $2 PBR, $4 Jose shots and of course, the free keg.

If you're 21+ e-mail your name to lebangyourself@gmail.com to get on the guest list. $5 for those who don't RSVP and under 21.

Want to know what to expect? Check out this video of Designer Drugs performing "Dead Meat."