Where To Celebrate New Year’s Eve 2024 In Norwalk

NORWALK, CT — As the holiday season begins to wind down, New Year's Eve is right around the corner.

While some might opt to head to New York City for a big celebration, others might be more tempted to stay close to home as they ring in 2025.

Here is a look at a few New Year's Eve events happening in Norwalk or a nearby community:

• New Year's Eve at Pinstripes - Pinstripes (Norwalk)
  • Join the countdown excitement with Balloon Drops at 8 p.m. (9 p.m. SM and LA) and the grand finale at midnight. Toast to new beginnings with complimentary sparkling wine for guests 21 and over, and sparkling cider for those under 21. More info here.

• Countdown to the New Year - Stepping Stones Museum for Children (Norwalk)
  • Celebrate the arrival of the New Year with us! Join us for daily programs where you’ll discover a rich variety of traditions, from well-known festivities to delightful hidden gems, and learn how people around the world mark this joyous occasion. More info here.

• WP's Roaring 20's New Years Eve - Washington Prime (Norwalk)
  • Dress to impress in your favorite Roaring 20's attire and enjoy a three-course dinner and open bar. More info here.

Hosting a New Year's Eve event in Norwalk? Be sure to post it on the Patch Calendar.

Nearby in New Canaan, the New Canaan Library will host a "Noon Year's Eve" event during which families can ring in the New Year at 12 p.m.

Nearby in Newtown, Aquila's Nest Vineyards will be hosting a New Year's Eve Live Music Bash in its indoor Tasting Room.

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.