With Christmas almost here, it’s time to look ahead at New Year’s Eve. As always, Honolulu Harbor will host the usual fabulous fireworks at midnight (and Hilton Hawaiian Village will set off its Friday night pyrotechnics at 8:45 p.m.), all the harbor cruises will sail past them and hotel restaurants will vie for guests with special menus and entertainment. But there are a couple of new twists:

Pineapple drop: How’s this for eco-friendly entertainment? A giant papier-mache pineapple with LED lights will slowly drop 10 stories from the Kahala Hotel at midnight, in an island interpretation of the the crystal ball in New York’s Time Square. The eight-foot-tall pineapple is three feet in circumference and weighs 200 pounds, and will be hoisted by crane to the top of the hotel before its “graceful” descent by wire and pulleys.

While you can watch for free from the beach, there are of course a variety of dining and party options in the hotel, ranging from $50 for a beachside party with live music to $90 for a five-course dinner at Hoku’s or a buffet at the Plumeria Beach House.

New Hard Rock: The old Hard Rock Cafe on Kapi’olani Boulevard is gone, long live the new Hard Rock Cafe, which opened Nov. 23 at the corner of Beachwalk and Kalākaua aivenues. Over the disapproving groans from the anti-chain restaurant crowd (of which I’m normally a member), let me just give a few reasons why that’s good news.

One, the 13,000-square-feet restaurant fills a prime space in Waikiki BeachWalk, a hopeful sign for the local economy; two, its environmentally friendly design has earned silver LEED certification, good for the local environment; three, it’s a big supporter of the Waikiki Aquarium (it has already hosted one fund-raiser and has another set for April.) Hawaiiana touches among the memorabilia include Ben Harper‘s Hawaiian lap steel guitar, Jack Johnson‘s guitar strings, set list and surfboard, and a badge from Jack Lord (not a rocker, but man, what a pompadour), plus an obligatory Duke Kahanamoku autographed photo.

And for New Year’s Eve, DJ Kool-E and MC Big Koa will play tunes for “Rockin 2011,” with a champagne toast and balloon drop, for ages 21 and older. Admission is only $5 — and that too is a gift, after all the holiday shopping.

Update: For New Year’s Eve events on Neighbor Islands, click here.