Five Best New Year’s Eve Celebrations

Are you one of those people who like to celebrate the New Year in a big way? If so, you need to be at one of these special celebrations:

1. Amsterdam Light Festival runs from 12/1 – 1/22. Artists, architects, and designers from around the world help create and install the light displays. There are two different routes with two different themes, which can be explored on foot or by boat. In addition to the spectacular light displays, there are fireworks on New Year’s Eve and special celebrations citywide.
2. Berlin Party at Brandenburg Gate is a big New Year’s party with more than one million in attendance. Highlights include fireworks and a dazzling light show including special effects. In addition to several entertainment stages and party tents, there will be dozens of vendor stands with lots of food and beverage options.
3. London’s New Year’s Day Parade is comparable to our Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade as far as being one of the best holiday parades. London’s New Year’s Day Parade includes more than 8,000 performers with a different theme each year. Roughly 500,000 will attend to watch the live parade as it moves from Picadilly to Parliament Street. Don’t miss the FREE Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park (11/18 – 1/2), which includes Christmas Markets, five live shows, ice skating, Bar Ice, Giant Observation Wheel, and Santa with his elves. There is a fee for some activities.
4. New York City’s Times Square New Year’s Eve Celebration will include more than one million people in attendance. This is the most popular New Year’s event in America and it is also televised so that those who can’t make it to NYC or don’t want to brave the cold and crowds can watch the festivities. Celebrities and musicians entertain everyone while the ball drops and the countdown continues. There are celebrations going on all over the city throughout the night and into the wee hours of the morning. Some of the most popular include a dance party at Central Park’s Belvedere Castle and a festival from 11 p.m. – 12 a.m. at Brooklyn’s Prospect Park, which ends with a dazzling fireworks display. For those who can’t find standing room in Times Square, hop on the free Staten Island Ferry for one of the best views of the fireworks.
5. Rio de Janeiro is a hotspot for New Year’s Eve. In fact, it may be the biggest celebration with more than two million in attendance. There will be live outdoor concerts featuring top entertainers, an LED countdown clock, and a sixteen-minute fireworks show. If you go, be sure to wear white, which is traditional for New Year’s in Rio.