Seasonal & Holidays
North Conway Village Plans A First New Year's Eve Celebration
For the first time, North Conway Village is hosting a 2026 New Year's Eve extravaganza with two free fireworks displays.
CONWAY, NH — For the first time, North Conway Village is hosting a 2026 New Year's Eve extravaganza with two free fireworks displays.
Participating businesses will offer extended hours, entertainment, kids’ activities, retail sales, food and drink specials and gallery browsing.
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The event is going to have indoor and outdoor activities so that weather does not prevent people from coming out and having a great night.
In the past, New Hampshire had a number of First Night celebrations that are not unlike the experience being designed for the Mount Washington Valley, which sees many skiers and riders and vacationers during the holiday week.
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“This is a celebration of what makes North Conway great," said Chris Proulx, executive director of the Mt. Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce. "Our business community is the reason North Conway was voted #1 Ski Town by readers of USA Today 10 Best for two years running. There has been a lot of demand for a family-friendly New Year’s Eve celebration, and the businesses of North Conway Village have answered by creating this fun and festive event.”
There will be a vintage train ride where adults only can watch the fireworks and then ring in the New Year while on board and a village-wide scavenger hunt with thousands of dollars in prizes.
Throughout the day and evening, those attending can explore North Conway Village and enjoy a wide range of special experiences as part of New Year’s Night Out.
Officials said a major highlight will be the first-of-its-kind New Year’s Eve Late Special Trail Ride from Conway Scenic Railroad, an age 21+ excursion where passengers can watch the fireworks from a dome car, enjoy on-board entertainment, and continue riding into 2026. Tickets for the dome car are $125 and $100 for first class tickets which can be purchased here https://www.conwayscenic.com/new-years-eve-late-special/
The train boards at 7:45 p.m. in Schouler Park for an 8:00 p.m departure. The itinerary includes a short run to Moat Brook, return to North Conway to view the 9:00 p.m. fireworks from the train, followed by a trip west into the Mount Washington Valley.
Passengers will ring in the New Year on board the train and return to North Conway just after midnight on Jan. 1, 2016.
The early fireworks show will be at 6:30 p.m. at Cranmore Mountain Resort and the 9 p.m. display will be over Schouler Park, North Conway Village.
Visitors and locals can search for Prize Posters throughout the village. Each poster scanned earns one entry into the Night Out Prize Drawing — with no limit on entries. Simply exploring the village increases your chances of winning.
Prizes include lift tickets, lodging stays, restaurant gift cards, retail certificates, experience packages, and specialty items from businesses including Cranmore Mountain Resort, Eastern Slope Inn, Flatbread Company, M&D Playhouse, Sacred Circle Wellness, The Rugged Mill, White Birch Books, Zeb’s General Store, and more.
The prize drawing will be held at the North Conway Community Center at 8:30 p.m. Winners do not need to be present, but attendees can enjoy the excitement and pick up one of 200 free glow sticks for the 9 p.m. fireworks in Schouler Park.
More information and a complete schedule can be found at www.visitmwv.com/posts/nye.
This article first appeared on InDepthNH.org and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
