The Island’s big New Year’s Eve celebration takes place on the West End, aboard the aircraft carrier USS Hornet. Enjoy a big-band dance performance by 3 O’Clock Jump while fundraising for the museum’s education department, Tuesday, Dec. 31, from 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. Doors open at 7:15.

The Hornet will be the Bay Area’s best place to dance with three dance floors on the enclosed, heated hangar deck.

Guests will receive free dance lessons from Jim Truesdale, former Fred Astaire instructor, and participate in the silent auction and midnight countdown with the band. 

View San Francisco fireworks from the flight deck while welcoming the new year.

Black tie optional and period attire is welcome. Cash bars and food concessions will be available along with ample free parking. Guests may purchase bottles of champagne or plates of food at a hofbrau station.

Tickets for VIP cabaret seating cost $99; reserved seating $79; general admission $60 in advance or $65 at the door. Reserved seating usually sells out one week before the dance.All proceeds benefit the USS Hornet Museum, a 501(c)3 non-profit.

The featured entertainment, 3 O’Clock Jump, is a 16-piece classic big band that plays songs made famous by Count Basie, Glenn Miller and Harry James. They play such favorites like: “In the Mood,” “Moonlight Serenade” and “Route 66.” Get ready to rhumba, cha cha, waltz and swing the night away.

Dance lessons begin around 7:45 p.m. 3 O’Clock Jump plays from 8:30 to 1 a.m. Dance lessons will continue during the intermissions.

Note: Tours will not be offered during this event, but ticket stubs may be saved for free museum admission until Jan. 31. (The museum is closed on Jan. 1.)

The museum expects between 800 and 1,000 guests. Dance floors may accommodate up to 1,500 guests. Teens are welcome to enjoy the dancing, but children younger than 12 are not allowed. Keep in mind this is a nightclub atmosphere — there are no special activities planned for children and there are no ticket discounts.

Learn more and order tickets at www.uss-hornet.org.

More fun on the Hornet

Try out an escape room in a Cold War atmosphere on the USS Hornet, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2020, from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

The Hornet crew has identified a briefcase among the luggage left in the ship that no one is claiming. It must contain the stolen information. Your mission is to get inside it without being seen and replace it with false intel. Gather a team of the best and brightest and come to the rescue.

Tickets cost $25 per person. Learn more at www.uss-hornet.org