We may be bidding good riddance to 2020 this New Year’s Eve, but unfortunately we won’t be saying farewell to the coronavirus pandemic just yet. Public-health officials recommend that people stay home on the night of Dec. 31 to prevent the further spread of COVID-19 this winter, and many Savannah venues that ordinarily host New Year’s Eve celebrations will be closed. However, several elegant New Year’s Eve events are happening in the Hostess City with measures in place to make the party as safe as possible, including limiting the number of guests to allow for social distancing and obliging the use of face masks. What’s more, taking advantage of Savannah’s relatively balmy winter climate, all of the following six shindigs offer open-air settings so that celebrants can breathe easy while ushering in 2021.

New Year’s Eve Masquerade Ball

The sprawling gardens of Midtown Savannah’s La Scala Ristorante – housed within a carefully restored turn-of-the-century mansion – will host a grand New Year’s Eve celebration reminiscent of a Venetian gala. Guests are encouraged to wear a mysterious mask (in addition to their usual pandemic-era face covering) while savoring authentic Italian specialties and sipping on fine wines from the eatery’s impressive vino selection. La Scala Ristorante, 119 East 37th St.; 7 p.m. − see lascalasavannah.com for details.

NYE at The Lost Square

The Alida Hotel is hosting one of Savannah’s most exclusive New Year’s Eve parties at The Lost Square, an uncommonly graceful rooftop hangout. As guests enjoy fresh beats by DJ Jose Ray, they can find themselves drifting between the open bar, photo booth, and karaoke stage. Meanwhile, several food stations await alongside a street-taco stand and a selection of sinfully delightful sweets like CBD-infused cookies and boozy ice cream. The Lost Square, 412 Williamson St.; 9 p.m.-2 a.m. − see thealidahotel.com for details.

Roaring ’20s Rooftop Garden Speakeasy party

Travel back in time to the Prohibition era by attending the Roaring ’20s Rooftop Garden Speakeasy event at Plant Riverside’s Myrtle & Rose Rooftop Garden. Guests can celebrate the New Year at this lavish outdoor gathering scored by live jazz by the Jimmy Maddox Quartet, to be enjoyed amid a stylish setting and magnificent views over Savannah. Tickets are selling out fast, but VIP packages were still available at press time. Myrtle & Rose Rooftop Garden, 400 W. River St.; 7 p.m.-1 a.m. − see plantriverside.com for details.

Peregrin’s New Year’s Eve Bash

Nestled atop Savannah’s Perry Lane Hotel, the panoramic Peregrin rooftop bar is hosting a high-spirited celebration to close out 2020 in style, offering specialty cocktails, food, and live music with no cover charge. However, this is but one of several Dec. 31 events happening at Perry Lane, along with a New Year’s Eve dinner at the Emporium Kitchen and Wine Market restaurant and a New Year’s Eve gala held in the rooftop ballroom. Peregrin, 256 E. Perry St.; 9 p.m.-1 a.m. − see peregrinsavannah.com for details.

New Year’s Eve Dinner and Party Cruises

No other New Year’s Eve event in the Hostess City can match the moving views provided by the grand Georgia Queen, an iconic riverboat offering a pair of serene celebratory cruises on Dec. 31. A dinner excursion sets sail at 6 p.m. and returns back to shore by 8 p.m, before the crew welcomes guests aboard for a three-hour New Year’s Eve party cruise that departs at 9:30 p.m. and returns to Savannah’s riverfront at 12:30 a.m. on Jan. 1. Savannah Riverboat Cruises, 9 E. River St. − see savannahriverboat.com for details.

Hit the Road Jack party

Greet 2021 with a smile while admiring sweeping vistas over the Savannah River at the Top Deck Rooftop Bar, found atop the Cotton Sail Hotel. This year, the Top Deck NYE party theme is “Hit the Road Jack” – an appropriate sendoff song for 2020 – and guests will be welcome to indulge in the eatery’s gourmet hors d’oeuvres all night long, while bottles of bubbly will be popping beneath the stars as midnight arrives at long last. Top Deck Rooftop Bar, 125 W. River St.; 9 p.m.-1 a.m. − see topdeckbar.com for details.