Where To Celebrate New Year’s Eve 2024 In & Around Madison

MADISON, CT — With 2024 coming to a close, Madison residents are looking for places to ring in the New Year, and Patch has found a few places for the celebration.

Whether you're into dining, dancing or both, there are several options throughout the area. Hosting a New Year's Eve event in Madison? Be sure to post it on the Patch Calendar.

Here is a look at some of the events happening in and around Madison:

New Year's Eve at The Wharf (Madison): New Year’s Eve 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
The Wharf Bar will be open until Midnight December 31.
Celebrate the holidays with us at The Wharf. Holiday specials available.

New Year's Eve at Cafe Allegre (Madison): Join us for New Year's Eve. We will be serving our regular dinner menu.

Saltbrick Prime Steakhouse (Branford): 4 COURSES FOR $99 — also includes a sparkling toast

New Year's Eve Murder Mystery Dinner (Essex): The Essex Steam Train & Riverboat — Join us at Essex Station for a spectacular New Year’s Eve celebration that promises a night of nostalgia, fun, and unforgettable moments! Get ready for a dazzling evening filled with trains, libations, mystery, dining, dancing, and a champagne toast to ring in the new year at midnight.

New Year's Eve at Water's Edge Resort & Spa (Westbrook): Featuring two live bands, open premium bar, and a spectacular four-course dinner.

Elsewhere in Connecticut, First Night Hartford returns with a family-friendly, alcohol-free New Year's Eve celebration that features fireworks, music, art, and food in the state's capital city.

In the United States, one of the most popular New Year’s Eve traditions is the dropping of the giant ball in New York City’s Times Square. Other U.S. cities have their own versions of this celebration, such as the Peeps Chick Drop in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and the giant Potato Drop in Boise, Idaho.

The transition from one year to the next is often marked by the singing of “Auld Lang Syne,” a Scottish folk song whose title roughly translates to “days gone by,” according to Encyclopedia Britannica and History.com.

The tradition of New Year’s resolutions dates back 8,000 years to ancient Babylonians, who made promises to return borrowed items and repay debts at the beginning of the new year, which was in mid-March when they planted their crops.

• Related: What New Year’s Resolution Did You Keep? How Did You Do It? [Patch Survey]

According to legend, if people kept their word, the pagan gods would grant them favor in the coming year. However, if they broke their promises, they would lose favor with the gods.

Many secular New Year’s resolutions focus on imagining new, improved versions of ourselves.

The failure rate of New Year’s resolutions is about 80 percent, according to U.S. News & World Report. There are many reasons, but a big one is they’re made out of remorse — for gaining weight, for example — and aren’t accompanied by a shift in attitude or a plan for coping with the stress and discomfort that comes with changing a habit or condition.