Where To Celebrate New Year’s Eve 2024 In Morris County

MORRIS COUNTY, NJ — The new year is nearly here, and there are plenty of ways to ring in 2025 with family and friends in the Morris County area.

Here is a look at some events happening in and around Morris County. Patch has you covered no matter what your mood is.

• First Night Morris County: First Night Morris County 2025 provides a magnificent family-friendly, substance-free and alcohol-free celebration in the heart of Morristown. Fireworks will begin at 9:15 p.m., and the program concludes with the new Midnight Countdown Featuring Fireworks to Welcome in the New Year.
• St. Mark's New Year's Day 5K: Bagels and other snacks will be provided at an indoor awards ceremony with a drawing for prizes.
• New Year's Eve 2025 When the Clock Strikes Twelve: Celebrate New Year’s Eve In Style At 1776 Featuring Topgolf Swing Suite. The $120 ticket includes a three-hour open bar, complimentary champagne toast at midnight, live DJ and giveaways and hors d'oeuvres. Doors Open at 10 p.m.
• New Year’s Eve Blast with M&M’S: The Town of Hackettstown, the Hackettstown Police Department, Mars Wrigley, and the Hackettstown Business Improvement District are gearing up for the second annual New Year’s Eve Blast, featuring an M&M’S® ball drop at midnight. Guests can celebrate with live music, food, and activities for the whole family, while enjoying shopping, dining, and strolling through the Hackettstown Business Improvement District. This year's festivities will take place at the intersection of Main Street and High Street, from 8:00 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.
• Children’s Fun Festival: Local kids can enjoy fun and laughter with “Juggles and Glitter” Beigel, two professional clowns who have been entertaining children for over twenty years. They make kids smile with balloons, face painting, and magic, and children can take home a candy cane, holiday balloon, or another surprise. The event will be held at the Morristown High School Atrium Lobby Upstairs, located at 50 Early St., from 7 to 9 p.m.

New Year's traditions and resolutions

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.

Happy New Year from Patch!