With the end of the year approaching, it’s time to figure out how you and your family will be celebrating its final hours! From spending a day at the museum, to ice skating, to watching the ball drop, here are the 10 best events in Indiana for the whole family to celebrate the beginning of the year!
Head to downtown Kokomo this New Year’s Eve and prepare to have a good time. The New Year’s celebration starts at 10:30 p.m. and has been a tradition in Kokomo for over 20 years. The celebration takes place on the Courthouse square, and at 11:59 p.m. the ball begins its infamous drop as the crowd counts the seconds down. Each year the ball has been designed by local high school students in what’s known as the Techno Kat group, and each year the ball is bigger and better, a true sight to behold.
Five, four, three, two…noon! From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. this New Year’s Eve, bring the whole family to the Indianapolis Children’s Museum and prepare to ring in the new year a little early. Hear music from Grammy nominated artist Zak Morgan before the countdown between noon and 1 p.m., and partake in festive New Year’s Eve activities. It’s fun for the whole family, and allows them to experience the excitement of a countdown at a more reasonable hour!
Come to the Indianapolis State Museum and Historic Site this New Year’s Eve and ring the new year in with style. It’s an alcohol-free event featuring face-painting, arts and crafts, games, prizes and more. Little ones can stilt walkers up close, and there will even be a balloon drop at 8 p.m. It’s enough excitement to wear little ones, and adults, out!
Georgia Street in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, is the place to be this New Year’s Eve. Celebrate New Year’s with Downtown Indy’s fourth annual New Year’s Celebration. Beginning at 9 p.m., visitors can come for entertainment, sights, and plenty of food and drinks. And here in Indiana, they do a little something special at this event. Instead of dropping a ball at 11:59 p.m., an IndyCar is lifted high above the crowd before it begins its descent to count the seconds down. Once it stops, that’s when the fireworks begin!
Registration begins on Dec. 1 for this fun filled family event! Prepare to ring in the New Year at the Zion Nature Center in southern Zionsville, Indiana, and have a hooting good time. Toast the New Year with some delicious juice, watch a balloon drop at noon, and party with the Nature Center crowd at this year’s owl themed event!
Come celebrate New Year’s at the annual New Year’s Eve Celebration at the Merrifield Ice Rink in Mishawaka, Indiana. From 4:30 p.m. to 11 p.m., everyone can enjoy a safe and fun environment and ring in the New Year with some ice skating! The $10 entrance fee includes admission, skate rental, snacks, party favors, and a live DJ!
Celebrate the new year with science! Join Fort Wayne’s Science Central for their annual Countdown to Noon celebration. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. children and adults can participate in activities such as face painting, making party hats and noisemakers, and there will also be fun and educational science demonstrations. Visitors can also view the city lights around the world using the “Science on a Sphere” exhibit. Enjoy cookies and a soda pop, and at noon, there will be a giant balloon drop to welcome 2018!
Looking for a family friendly event that won’t keep the kids out past midnight? Head on over to Merrillville, Indiana, and ring in the New Year at the Deep River Walk. There will be ice skating and concession items for sale, as well as a disc jockey. It’s fun for the whole family this year!
Head on down to historic French Lick in southern Indiana and celebrate the New Year with a Carnival! Registration begins at 5:30 p.m., and the event begins at 6 p.m. in the Clifton Ballroom. Here, children can enjoy Carnival themed games and treats, video games, live entertainment, party favors, face painting, and at midnight, they can see the ball drop LIVE from Times Square. Food and drinks will also be provided.
Celebrate New Year’s Eve in style this year at the Indiana State Museum in the Governor Frank and Judy O’Bannon Great Hall. With face painting activities, a magician, and music, this event is great for the little ones who might not otherwise be able to celebrate the new year. The event will take place from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., and there will be a balloon drop at 8 p.m.