1. Cyndi Lauper will show her true colors, and then some, from 9:30 p.m. Monday at the New Year's Eve gala at the Sheraton Waikiki hotel's Hawaii Ballroom. A fireworks concert party also is an option on the hotel's Diamond Head lawn. 921-4600.

2. The Society of Seven Las Vegas headline a New Year's Eve show and dance, from 7:45 p.m. Monday, at the Main Showroom, Outrigger Waikiki Hotel. 922-6408, 923-7469.

3. Led Zepplica, a tribute band replicating Led Zeppelin, rocks in the New Year from 8 p.m. Monday at the Pipeline Cafe. 479-6004.

4. KC & the Sunshine Band highlight the Hilton Hawaiian Village's New Year's Eve blast, from 9 p.m. Monday, at the Coral Ballroom. Also featuring Johnny Valentine; KC —Harry Wayne Casey (above) — and his band perform from 10:30 p.m. to midnight. 947-7877.

5. The Honolulu Symphony Orchestra presents a pair of pre-New Year's concerts featuring Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 4 p.m. Sunday. Andreas Delfs will conduct; soloists include Mexico's Olivia Gorra and American opera stars Gigi Mitchell-Velasco, Mark Panuccio and Eric Owens. 792-2000.

6. Discover the wonders of 'Iolani Palace, with tours Tuesdays to Saturdays — closed New Year's Day — in the galleries on King Street, opposite the Kamehameha statue. 522-0832.

7. So you want to see New Year's Eve fireworks at midnight? Aloha Tower Marketplace is a savvy destination, with dining options aplenty prior to the waterfront display. Entertainment starts at 7 p.m. Monday, culminating in the aerial display.

8. Let's cut to the chase: The Second Annual Quest for Father Time, an alternative New Year's Eve activity from 7 p.m., offers a Downtown Honolulu sleuthing experience requiring teamwork and the ability to sort out clues in a race to find a secret site for the Ravenchase Adventures celebration. 203-8963, 877-407-2836.

9. Elvis has not left the building — the Blaisdell Center Arena grounds, that is. Go see a bronze replica of the King of Rock, in front of the arena, site of Elvis Presley's historic Live From Hawai'i satellite concert in 1973.

10. Ring in the New Year aboard the Navatek I, where appetizers, desserts and a sea-going party will give celebrants a different view of the city's fireworks to-do at midnight New Year's Eve. 973-1311.

11. Waddle to the Hilton Hawaiian Village and watch the penguins near the Ali'i Tower, where feedings are at 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. 949-4321.

12. Learn how bamboo and coconut are used in foods, utensils and musical instruments in a Temari presentation at 10 a.m. Saturday at Ward Warehouse and Ward Centre. Free.

13. See a beachfront sunset torchlighting ceremony and Hawaiian hula show, from 6 to 7 p.m. today, Saturday and Sunday at the Kuhio Beach Hula Mound, near the Duke Kahanamoku statue, at Uluniu and Kalakaua Avenue in Waikiki. Free.

Reach Wayne Harada at wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com.

Make a difference. Donate to The Advertiser Christmas Fund.