It may feel like the over-21 crowd is the focus when it comes to celebrating New Year’s Eve, but Rhode Island features a host of events catered to your little ones! Bring the whole family to Newport for a selection of fun activities or head to Providence for a firework extravaganza! Here are the best family-friendly New Year’s Eve events in the state.
Join One Providence for its first ever ball drop and firework show. This spectacular event is free and courtesy of Mayor Elorza and the many generous sponsors. Featuring street-side entertainment and music, a laser light show, vendors, and a wonderful firework display, this New Year's Eve event is open to all ages. There is also an indoor party for the adults afterward, as Skyline will hold an indoor black tie ticketed event featuring hors-d'oeuvres, dinner, and drinks at its rooftop location.
Founded in 1971 and now in its 47th year, this annual program boasts multiple activities for nearly every day of the December calendar, including the 31st. In a community-wide collaboration, only clear light bulbs illuminate the harbor, the wharfs, and the historic mansions of the town. The lights simulate candlelight, and they give the town all of the warmth and feel of a Thomas Kinkade painting.
Revisit the virtues of living the holidays through random acts of kindness with this much-loved Charles Dickens classic. Relive the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge, Jacob Marley, Tiny Tim, and the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. Plus, this year’s production will feature 18 community groups from throughout Rhode Island. So catch this classic on the last day of 2017, and you might just find a New Year’s resolution in there somewhere.
The experience of exploring the vacation retreats of the turn-of-the-century American aristocracy dressed in the glitter of gold and silver and other yuletide finery of the season is like no other. If ever there was a better example of old meets new it would have to be New Year’s itself. Something about the old stone glowing with candlelight makes one nostalgic in a way the begs for a New Year’s tour, and luckily this seasonal displays will remain up through Jan. 1, 2018.
From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., bring the children to the Providence Children’s Museum for fun crafts! Create shakers and other instruments for a truly joyful and musical way to ring in the new year.
In 1975, this walk was designated as a Nation Recreational Trail, and it soon became famous for its natural beauty, historic architectural sites, and unique flora and fauna. Three-and-a-half miles in total, most of the walk is easy going, while in some places it dips down onto the rocky shoreline. It is the perfect place to welcome in the new year and make a resolution or two.