Get ready for the party of the decade as you say farewell to 2019 and welcome 2020. West Michigan is ready to celebrate with special dinner events, kids parties, ball drops, fireworks, and more!
Kids New Year’s Eve Events
Join the Holland Area Arts Council for a big, and early, celebration of the New Year. Children will make noisemakers and party hats in preparation for a balloon drop at noon to ring in the New Year. There will be games to play, popcorn to eat, and fizzy fake cocktails to drink! The festivities run December 31st, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm and is open to ages 0-14.
Want to celebrate the beginning of 2020 but can’t stay up until midnight? Celebrate New Year’s Eve early at Air Zoo in Portage on December 31st with a countdown to noon balloon drop, face painting, take-home party hats, and noisemakers. The fun starts at 11:00 am and goes until 3:00 pm and is free with admission.
Dance and play your way into the new year at the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum New Year’s Early Eve party, 6:00 pm-8:00 pm with countdown and balloon drop at 7:30 pm.
Families, children, and teens can celebrate New Year’s Eve at Ludington’s New Year’s Eve Family Party, December 31st, 7:30 pm-11:30 pm, at the Mason County District Library, with crafts, games, and activities for party goers of all ages – including board games, Legos, and video games. The party closes at 11:30 pm, in time to stroll downtown for the Ball Drop. The New Year’s Eve Family Party is a free event, and children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.
Party with your kids at the Treetops Resort Family Party in Gaylord! Music for all ages will be provided by a DJ throughout the night, there will be a photo booth, party favors, and interactive children’s activities.
New Year’s Eve Ball Drops
Find out why so many people are celebrating New Year’s Eve in Ludington and ring in 2020 with the largest New Year’s Eve Ball Drop in West Michigan. A beer garden and live music start the festivities at 9:00 pm at the James Street Plaza, with a fireworks display and ball drop at midnight. Ludington puts safety first, providing a free shuttle service to and from the event. Sleep well and wake up refreshed to a complimentary hot breakfast when you stay at one of Ludington’s top hotels: The Best Western Lakewinds, The Comfort Inn Ludington, or The Holiday Inn Express & Suites Ludington.
Head to Grand Haven for a ball drop and celebration at Washington and Harbor!
Ring in the New Year with the 8th Annual Charlevoix Bridge Drop. Get creative and build a snowman during the snow sculpture contest and make smores over the fire pit in Bridge Park. Then, enjoy two different firework displays over Lake Charlevoix. The first fireworks show will begin at 9:00 pm, followed by fireworks at midnight after the Bridge Drop countdown. Many area restaurants will feature event specials throughout the night.
Gather with family and friends to ring in 2020 at the 31st annual New Year’s Eve Ball Drop in Marquette on Tuesday, December 31st. Share in this Marquette tradition and join in the music and the countdown to midnight with a ball drop atop the Masonic Square Mall.
Dinners, Dancing, and Parties
Celebrate with family, friends, and neighbors at Journeyman Distillery in Three Oaks! The party starts at 9:00 pm, with music and dancing in the Still Room before welcoming the New Year with a midnight toast. Your $15 ticket includes one complimentary cocktail and a glass of bubbly. This event is for adults 21 and over only.
The Inn at Harbor Shores in St. Joseph will celebrate the new year at the Roaring 20s Party! Attend the party with champagne toast, photo booth, fireworks, and live screening of the New York City ball drop, or stay overnight with the Ultimate Party Package.
There’s always a big party to ring in the new year at FireKeepers Casino Hotel Battle Creek. It starts early, with a concert on Sunday, December 29th. The 90s House Party will make everybody dance now with C&C Music Factory featuring Freedom Williams, Coolio, Vanilla Ice, and Mark McGrath (of Sugar Ray). On December 31st, the Party of the Decade begins at 9:00 pm. The Love Revival Orchestra and the FireKeepers DJ will keep the music going all night in the event center. There will be appetizers and an elegant countdown. Out on the casino floor, there will be live music and then a DJ takes over after midnight. If you spend the night at the hotel, plan on sticking around to watch New Year’s Day football at the casino’s Dacey’s Taphouse, which has $5 food specials from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm.
Shorline Inn and Lake House Waterfront Grille in Muskegon has a New Year’s Eve Party Package for two that includes overnight accommodations, champagne upon arrival, as well as dinner buffet, New Year’s Eve party with ball drop and champagne toast at midnight, live music by Pop Fiction, and breakfast buffet New Year’s Day.
Ring in New Year’s Eve at Grand Traverse Resort and Spa in Williamsburg! The Midnight in the Mitten celebration honors decades of Michigan agriculture with an eight-course strolling dinner and Michigan beverage pairing stations. Music from the Blue Water Kings will help you dance the night away leading up to a champagne toast at midnight. Party favors and a cash bar will also be available. The party is open to resort guests as well as the public, and takes place in the all-new Governors’ Hall, which will feature classic silver and black décor to kick off 2020 in style.
Come celebrate the New Year in Traverse City and ring in the Roaring 20’s! Bonobo Winery is partnering with Mammoth Distillery for three levels of New Year’s Eve party experiences:
- The Jazz Age – Guests will be picked up at Mammoth Distillery downtown around 6:00 pm and brought to Bonobo Winery for cocktail hour. At 7:00 pm, you’ll be seated for a three course dinner paired with Bonobo wines. Enjoy some after dinner drinks and live music while the party kicks off. Around 9:30 pm, ride back to Mammoth where you’ll enjoy dessert, live music, and unlimited cocktails to ring in the New Year. Space is limited.
- The Flapper – Guests will be picked up at Mammoth Distillery downtown around 6:00 pm and brought to the winery where you’ll enjoy a complementary glass of wine, appetizers, and live music. Around 9:30 pm, ride back to Mammoth where you’ll enjoy dessert, live music, and unlimited cocktails to ring in the New Year. Space is limited.
- The Roadster – The party kicks off at the winery at 6:00 pm. You’ll receive a complimentary glass of wine and appetizers will be available throughout the evening. The event closes at 10:00 pm and to let you get on your way to find a place to ring in the New Year.
Dressing the part as your favorite gangster, silent movie star, or flapper is half the fun!
Black Star Farms will host a New Year’s Eve Wine Paired Dinner at the Inn in Suttons Bay. This is a special celebration to ring in the New Year featuring an extravagant evening with five amazing courses paired with five wines. Black tie attire is optional.
Kick off 2020 at Crystal Mountain in Thompsonville, where you’ll find something fun for every age at the Crystal Mountain New Year’s Eve Celebration! Grab your family and friends to celebrate the end of another fantastic year at the Thistle Pub & Grille or the Wild Tomato. Anyone looking to party all night long can check out the Family Fun Party or the Adult Only Party, held in the Crystal Center. Top off the evening with fireworks at midnight and much more.
Say goodbye to 2019 with a fabulous dinner followed by dancing to a fantastic jazz band at the Terrace Inn & 1911 Restaurant in Petoskey. Stay the night with a special New Year’s Eve package, $199 for a queen or twin room or a two-night stay for $279. Package includes dinner and entertainment for two as well as breakfast.
Other New Year’s Eve Celebrations
Bring in 2020 in the heart of downtown South Haven. The street will be cleared so you can mingle in the square and stay up late enjoying music, dancing, ice skating, special features from local restaurants, party favors, and a special midnight surprise! Visit their website for the full schedule of events.
Head to the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids for the 23rd Annual New Year’s Eve Celebration hockey game with Grand Rapids Griffins vs. Chicago Wolves at 6:00 pm. Stick around afterwards for a post-game indoor fireworks show and post-game open skate.
Kick off the new year right with the New Year’s Resolution Run in Ludington, January 1st. This fun 5K starts at 11:00am at Loomis and James Streets by Ludington Pub, which also will host an afterparty. Strollers and dogs are allowed in the run. Registration fee is $25, or $100 for all four Ludington races with a free swag item.
Celebrate New Years at Mt. Pleasant’s entertainment hub, Soaring Eagle Casino! Hit Michigan’s largest gaming floor to test your luck at casino games or head to Ascend, Soaring Eagle’s newest attraction, for live entertainment, drinks, food, and more!
Plan on celebrating New Year’s Eve at Treetops Resort in Gaylord this year. First, enjoy a buffet style meal and then, starting at 8:00 pm, the adults can enjoy live entertainment from the Straits Shooters band playing rock, country, funk, hip-hop, and 80’s & 90’s tunes. Enjoy party favors, late night hors d’oeuvres, fully stocked cash bar, a champagne toast, outside bonfire with s’mores, and fireworks at midnight. Ages 21+ only, $20 per person.
Ring in the New Year with friends and family at Shanty Creek in Bellaire, with dining and entertainment options for all ages throughout the three villages of Shanty Creek Resort. Kids can enjoy a night of New Year’s Eve fun all to themselves during Kids’ Night Out at the Lakeview Hotel. Games, arts and crafts, dancing, and snacks will be available during this celebration. The entire family will enjoy a magic show, followed by a DJ and dancing in the Lakeview Hotel’s Grand Ballroom for the Family Fun Dinner Show. Following the dinner show guests will be treated to oohs and aahs of fireworks at midnight over Summit Mountain. Relax and unwind at The River Bistro while counting down to the New Year with the Times Square show. Celebrate with friends around the eight big screen tvs and game room of pool tables, darts, foosball, air hockey, and Golden Tee. Or rock in the New Year at Ivan’s with music and dancing starting at 9:00 pm.
A torch light parade, family fun, fireworks, and parties for adults and teens wrap up 2019 at Boyne Highlands in Harbor Springs. Ring in the new year Boyne Mountain style with a firework display, parties for the whole family, and much more.
