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New Year's Eve Drone Shows, Balloon Drops, and Celebrations for Kids in NYC

The ball drops at noon at CMOM! Photo courtesy of the museum
The ball drops at noon at CMOM! Photo courtesy of the museum
12/22/24 - By Drew Kristofik

New Year's Eve is almost upon us, and there are lots of ways to ring in 2025 in New York City with kids, even though the traditional fireworks shows have been canceled due to drought. We've rounded up the city's best family-friendly New Year's Eve celebrations, including Times Square's legendary ball drop. Our family-friendly picks include a drone show over Prospect Park and a special Big Apple Circus performance. However you welcome the new year, we hope it's a blast.

You can find even more seasonal fun in our Holiday Guide for NYC Families, and be sure to check out our post on 38 fun things to do over Christmas vacation.

As always, if an event piques your interest, click through to our listing for all the details, including addresses and times. And keep in mind: Really cool things to do with kids often book up quickly, so register or buy your tickets ASAP.

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New Year's Eve Celebrations in NYC for Families

New Year's Craft at the South Beach Library

South Beach, Staten Island – FREE
Monday, December 30
Create a party hat and a confetti popper, and design your very own 2025 banner using craft materials at the library. READ MORE

New Year's Countdown Party with Fyütch at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library

Midtown East – FREE
Monday, December 30
Grammy-nominated music artist Fyütch pops into the library to perform high-energy songs about social justice and environmental health with affirming chants and dances. READ MORE

Happy Noon Year at Highlawn Library

Bensonhurst, Brooklyn – FREE
Monday, December 30
Ring in 2025 with Highlawn Library...in the daylight! Listen to some New Year-themed stories, learn about different cultural New Year's celebrations, have a countdown to noon, do a balloon drop, and dance! READ MORE

New Year's Eve Extravaganza at the Children's Museum of Manhattan

Upper West Side
Monday, December 30-Tuesday, December 31
New Year’s Eve is all day long at CMOM! Ring in 2025 in style by creating iridescent wearable art, make a memory time capsule, and dance along to a midday ball drop! READ MORE

Big Apple Circus: Hometown Playground at Lincoln Center

Upper West Side
Tuesday, December 31
For its 47th anniversary season, Big Apple Circus: Hometown Playground celebrates the joy, wonder, and amazement of New York City. This show's theme celebrates the diverse neighborhoods and unique landmarks that make NYC like none other in the world. READ MORE

Noon Year's Eve at SlooMoo Institute

Soho
Tuesday, December 31, 2024-Wednesday, January 1, 2025
Sloomoo Institute—Soho's museum of slime—invites visitors to celebrate the new year at noon on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Slimetenders and guests gather around Sloomoo Lake, slimetenders fill everyone's hands with bingsu beads, and at 12pm (noon) everyone throws the bingsu beads into the air like confetti!  READ MORE

New Year's Eve Balloon Drop at Three's Brewing

Gowanus, Brooklyn
Tuesday, December 31
Three's Brewing gets the jump on New Year's Eve with a 4pm (sunset) balloon drop and sparkling cider toast.    READ MORE

New Year's Eve Fireworks Cruise

South Street Seaport
Tuesday, December 31
Enjoy a smorgasbord of finger foods as you gaze upon a dazzling fireworks display in the middle of New York Harbor. Dress warmly—the top deck is open to the glorious winter sky!  READ MORE

Prospect Park's New Year's Eve Drone Show

Prospect Heights, Brooklyn – FREE
Tuesday, December 31
Brooklyn's most spectacular New Year’s Eve fireworks celebration morphs into a drone show this year, in deference to drought conditions. Expect a lot of sparkle and showstopping renditions of classic NYC landmarks, like the Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty up in the midnight sky. READ MORE

New Year's Rockin' Eve in Times Square

Midtown West – FREE
Tuesday, December 31
America’s go-to annual New Year’s tradition celebrates the year’s very best in music and rings in the new year with more than 5½ hours of dynamic performances. At midnight, the ball drops to welcome 2025. READ MORE

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About the Author

Drew Kristofik
Drew Kristofik’s career took a twist from editing teen magazines to a seven-year stint at MacNeil/Lehrer, followed by a long run at Nickelodeon/Viacom as Director of Content for Nick Online and Editor-in-Chief of ParentsConnect.com. A founding member of the Webby Award-winning GoCityKids, she’s written for Family Fun, Vanity Fair, and New York. Her middle school novel, The Time Boat, is available on Amazon Kindle. Drew keeps the MommyPoppins New York Events calendar spot-on and can be reached at events@mommypoppins.com.
Recent Articles By Drew Kristofik:
Read more articles by Drew Kristofik.