Epic New Year's Celebrations for Bay Area Families
Celebrate the arrival of 2024 with the annual San Francisco New Year's Eve Fireworks over the bay! Or if your little ones cannot stay up until midnight, there are other New Year's Eve celebrations the whole family will enjoy in the Bay Area. Here’s our round-up of great family friendly options for ringing in 2024 courtesy of Mamahood partner, Ronnie’s Awesome List.
Remember to plan ahead and check for any specific event details, tickets, or reservations required. And cheers to a fantastic year ahead! - Ronnie’s Awesome List + The Mamahood
New Year's Party
Swings and Wings
WHAT: New Year's Party at Swings and Wings!
Come join us for delicious food, get some moves on dance floor, pose in the photo booth and create beautiful crafts.
WHEN: Sunday, December 31st, 5:00pm to 7:00pm
WHERE: Swings and Wings / 2307 Blanding Ave, Suite E, Alameda CA 94501
COST:
$23.75 per person early-bird pricing through 12/24!
$25.75 online booking pricing thereafter
$27.75 at the door on 12/31
FAQ: Trampoline grade socks required for entry; children ages 1+ require a ticket. Recommended for children up to 8 years old. Parents/caregivers are required to remain with children during this event.
Find out more about Swing and Wings on our M List
New Year's Eve Party At The Pioneer Tap Room
WHAT: New Year's Eve Party at The Pioneer Tap Room
Ring in the New Year with an unforgettable day of live music, delicious food, and a sparkling glass of champagne at this NYE event.
WHEN: Sunday, December 31, from 12:00pm to 7:00pm
AGENDA:
Live Music by The Freeze 12pm - 2:30pm
Live Music by Vinyl Coundown 3pm - 7pm
London Time Zone Countdown & Ball Drop @ 4:00pm
WHERE: The Pioneer Tap Room at 4491 Suisun Valley Rd, Fairfield, CA 94534
COST: Tickets $70 PP / $50 PP Club Members
Our very own Jessika Speer will be performing live. You can find out more about her and More Than Words Entertainment on The M List.
Noon Year’s Eve Celebration
Bay Area Discovery Museum
Noon Year’s Eve
Sunday, December 31, 2023
10 a.m. - 2 p.m. (The museum closes early at 2 p.m.)
Ball Drop at 12 p.m.
Member hour 9 - 10 a.m.
Ring in the new year without keeping your family up past bedtime.
Celebrate the start of 2024 at Bay Area Discovery Museum with this beloved annual affair. This kid-friendly celebration includes a ball drop at noon so that you can enjoy the countdown without the midnight meltdown!
Watch the ball drop at noon
Enjoy a live DJ and join in a dance party
Festive programming
And much more!
Plus, explore more winter festivities and new programs at Bay Area Discovery Museum, including Iceless Skating!
Ticket reservations are required for general admission. Capacity is limited. Noon Year's Eve is included with general admission and is free for members.
Source: https://bayareadiscoverymuseum.org/visit/first-time-visit/events/noon-years-eve
Find out more about Bay Area Discovery Museum on our M List
Noon Year’s Eve Celebration!
Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose
Ball drops at 11:00 a.m. | 12:00 p.m. | 2:00 p.m. | 3:00 p.m.
Celebrate the arrival of 2024 with the whole family by participating in the “countdown to noon across time zones” with family hugs, a lively celebration, and the Museum’s version of the famous Ball Drop in Times Square with lots of confetti. At the different drops, “shoutouts” are given to different countries and what people in those countries might be doing at that time.
Activities:
– Make a Party Hat
– Family Photos
Source: https://www.cdm.org/event/noon-years-eve-6/?instance_id=9436
Find out more about Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose on our M List
Winter Wonderland Kwanzaa & Noon Year’s Eve
Thrive City
Celebrate the culture of Kwanzaa and ring in 2024 at our Winter Wonderland Kwanzaa and Noon Year’s Eve celebration! Put on your dancing shoes and enjoy Afrobeats & More for Kids ft. Soji Sai Afrobeat from The Rock and Roll Playhouse. Enjoy cultural performances, a countdown drop at 11:59AM, arts & craft stations, treats, and more.
Registration does not guarantee admission. Space is limited and subject to availability.
First come, first served.
Find out more about Thrive City on our M List
2023 Grand Finale
Lawrence Hall of Science
Looking to celebrate the New Year with your kids but don’t want to stay up past their bedtime? Our annual family-friendly New Year’s Eve celebration is back! You bring the holiday cheer, and we’ll bring the magic of confetti cannons, with several launches throughout the day. Register ahead of time to reserve your spot at your chosen confetti launch.
Confetti launches every 45 minutes starting at 10:45! Registration link coming soon.
Source: https://lawrencehallofscience.org/events/2023-grand-finale
Find out more about Lawrence Hall of Science on our M List
Annual Balloon Drop Celebration
Chabot Space & Science Center
Ring in the New Year without staying up all night! Celebrate strokes of midnight around the world at 11am, 12pm, 2pm, 3pm and 4pm! Kids will count down and celebrate with hundreds of colorful balloons dropping from above.
This popular annual event regularly sells out, so be sure to get tickets early! Get early access as a Chabot member! Member tickets go on sale a week before the general public.
Source: https://chabotspace.org/calendar/annual-balloon-drop-celebration-2
Find out more about Chabot Space & Science Center on our M List
Noon Year’s Eve Celebration!
Hiller Aviation Museum
Schedule of Activities:
10:00. Lori & RJ Welcome
Former Kids Club Hosts from KTVU Fox and WEB20 Kids will have you dancing and moving to the beat.
10:30 Sing with Bella
Popular 9-year-old YouTuber. Music for kids that is inspiring and fun.
11:00 Peninsula Ballet Theater
Peninsula Ballet Theatre strives to continue its long tradition as the artistic and cultural hub of San Mateo County. Ballet at its best.
11:15 Marionette Show
The Puppet Company and its imaginative shows will delight the whole family.
11:45 Get ready for Countdown to NOON YEAR’S with everyone on stage.
NOON BALLOON DROP
12:00 Germar the Magician
Award winning magician, author, and writer. Get ready to be mesmerized.
12:40 Broadway Babies & Kids – A musical revue you won’t want to miss.
Westlake School for the Performing Arts – Be inspired with these dancers.
1:00 END
Source: https://www.hiller.org/event/noon-years-eve
Find out more about Hiller Aviation Museum on our M List
Noon Year's Eve
City of Piedmont
Ring in 2024 with PRD! Celebrate with music, crafts, a countdown to noon balloon drop, and a whole lot of fun!
Find out more about City of Piedmont on our M List
Happy New Year, Charlie Brown!
Charles M. Schulz Museum
Celebrate the New Year with the Peanuts Gang! Enjoy fun crafts for kids, make a balloon Snoopy, and watch Happy New Year, Charlie Brown! on the big screen. Plus, do your best Snoopy dance and ring in 2023 with an Up Down Balloon Drop and Baby Balloon Drop (for children 4 and under and their families) at Noon, and a second Balloon Drop at 3:00 pm! Doors open at 10:00 am, and capacity will be monitored; admission will be on a first-come, first-served basis.
Source: https://schulzmuseum.org/happy-new-year-charlie-brown-2023
Bouncy Ball New Year
Downtown Novato Business Association
Ever wonder what happens when 24,000 super bouncy balls
are dropped from a ladder truck 40 feet in the air?
Kids of all ages are invited to Downtown Novato
to see what happens when 24,000 (celebrating 2024) small
bouncy balls are dropped onto the street from
a ladder truck 40 feet in the air!
The event is FREE!
Kids will get a souvenir “hard hat” and can keep as
many bouncy balls as their pockets & buckets can hold!
Imagine the fun of chasing after the balls as they
bounce in every direction. Come see for yourself!
What if it’s raining? No worries!
Your umbrella will protect you from the
bouncy balls raining from above!
Arrive early so you don’t miss the count down!
Source: https://www.facebook.com/events/6141341855958278/?acontext=%7B%22event_action_history%22%3A[]%7D
Find out more about Downtown Novato Business Association on our M List
Japanese New Year’s Bell-Ringing Ceremony
Asian Art Museum
9:30–11:30 AM: Members only Bell Ringing
11–11:30 AM: Touch tour of the temple bell for Blind and Visually Impaired Guests (pre-registration required)
11 AM–2 PM: Hands-on Art Activities
11:30 AM–1 PM: General Public Bell Ringing
12:15–1 PM: Descriptive and tactile tour for Blind and Visually Impaired Guests (pre-registration required)
Ring in the New Year by taking a swing at a 2,100-pound, 16th-century Japanese temple bell. Led by Reverend Gengo Akiba, this inspiring ceremony will include a purification ritual and chanting of the Buddhist Heart Sutra. Reverend Akiba will begin the bell-ringing, and then it’s your chance to ring the bell to leave behind any unfortunate experiences, regrettable deeds or ill luck from the previous year. The bell will be struck 108 times to usher in the New Year and curb the 108 mortal desires (bonno) that, according to Buddhist belief, torment humankind. While you wait your turn, fold paper cranes for luck and prosperity in the new year.
We encourage visitors to purchase general museum admission tickets before coming to the museum on December 31. An admission ticket guarantees entry to the museum, but visitors interested in joining the Bell Ringing Ceremony must pick up separate tickets to ring the bell at the main entrance to Samsung Hall once on-site. This event is first come, first served. To ensure you have a chance to ring the bell, we recommend that you arrive at Samsung Hall no later than 12 p.m.
Source: https://calendar.asianart.org/event/38th-annual-japanese-new-years-bell-ringing-ceremony
Find out more about Asian Art Museum on our M List
New Year's Eve Celebration
Gilroy Gardens
Join us for our extra special Holiday event celebrating the end of 2023 and welcoming in 2024.
Join us in the Events Plaza as we kick off the celebration at 5pm, followed by The New Year's Eve Dance Party 9pm. With a live DJ, specialty appetizers and cocktails it's certain to be a blast for the entire family. And best of all...the night doesn’t end until we countdown to midnight and light up the night sky with our traditional fireworks show over Coyote Lake.
Source: https://www.gilroygardens.org/nye
Find out more about Gilroy Gardens on our M List
First Day Hike 2024
Friends of China Camp
Ring in the New Year in an unforgettable way! Join the California State Park’s annual tradition of watching the year’s first sunrise from a spectacular vantage point overlooking the bay. If your New Year’s resolution is to get your blood pumping and stay fit, this is a great way to do it. We’ll also share any wishes or poems you have to kick off 2024.
Wear sturdy hiking shoes and dress in layers for changeable weather. Bring a fully charged flashlight or headlamp, a full water bottle, and your camera.
NOTE: This hike begins sharply at 6:30 a.m. for a 7:26 a.m. sunrise, so don’t be late or you’ll miss the fun. Please arrive a few minutes early to check in. Pets are not allowed on our trails, so please leave your four-legged family members at home. Registration is required.
Date: Monday, January 1
Find out more about Friends of China Camp on our M List
Traditional Japanese New Year's Day Celebration
Yoshi Tome of Sushi Ran Restaurant
Join us for our traditional Japanese New Year’s Day celebration!
This year we will hold the event at the IDESST Cultural Center.
Takumi Kati and Peaceful Forest
Sake barrel breaking ceremony
New year’s blessing and inspirational thoughts
Warm cider and sweet Japanese treats
This is a free event, open to all ages, great for the whole family.