More than 400 partygoers counted down to 2012 beneath a mirrored disco ball at restaurateur Nick Varano’s “Strega Style” New Year's Eve bash at Strega Waterfront. The late-night soiree provided a mash-up of entertainment and decorative tropes from the '70s, '80s, and '90s, and had a 20 percent increase in attendance over last year's inaugural event. “This year, we went for an old-school feel,” said Varano, who owns Strega Waterfront.
To help accomplish that goal, Varano invited musical guests he felt best represented the different eras. DJ John Kelly Jr., a member of the interactive disco dance group the Deney Terrio Dance Party, performed, as did the '80s and '90s singer Stevie B. Both performers drew guests to the dance floor. To add to the entertainment's throwback style, a six-foot-tall boom box prop served as a backdrop.
When their feet needed a rest, guests tried their hands at multiple carnival games. Opportunities to play bocce ball, foosball, bean bag toss, and spin the wheel were included in the $89 admission price, and each player received a prize, win or lose. Prizes included gift certificates to Varano Group restaurants, Strega brand marinara sauce, olive and truffle oil, bottles of wine, and gift certificates to Elizabeth Grady spa.
In between dancing and game-playing, guests relaxed on sleek, brown couches and low-hanging Lucite swings. Tables were topped with Winston's arrangements of white tulips in vases filled with illuminated crystals.
Guests greeted the new year with a champagne toast, also included in the cost of admission, and viewed the fireworks over Boston Harbor from Strega’s floor-to-ceiling windows.
