New Year's Eve 2024 Near Montclair: Where To Celebrate

MONTCLAIR, NJ — Looking for a unique way to ring in 2025? There are a wide range of events and activities taking place in the Montclair area.

Here are some New Year's Eve events happening around North Jersey on Tuesday, Dec. 31:

• First Night in downtown Morristown: Come check out live music, art performances, fireworks, theater, children activities and more. The fun starts at 4:45 p.m. and lasts throughout midnight. Tickets start at $30, but drop to $23.75 for family four packs. Get tickets and more info. here: https://firstnightmorris.org/
• Hackettstown M&M drop, see more info. below. But New Jersey has its own twist on the big ball drop: For the second year in a row, Hackettstown will have its M&M drop, where illuminated pieces of the chocolate candy will be dropped at midnight. Sponsored by the town of Hackettstown, the event goes from 8 p.m. until 12:30 a.m. Dec. 31, and will have music, food trucks, restaurants, breweries and entertainment such as performances from TCA Cheerleaders. It is held at the intersection of Main and High streets in Hackettstown.
• The Hoboken Biergarten on 15th Street is known for its Kids' New Year's Eve party. This year it starts at 11 a.m. Dec. 31. They have a party just for adults at night. Find out about both events here.
• Posh New Year's Eve Party at the Hoboken W hotel: Join them for the swankiest New Year's Eve Party in Hoboken. Posh brings you 4.5 hours of prepaid drinks, top Hoboken DJs and an LED countdown experience. Tickets start at $169 and are priced as high as $1,975; get tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2...
• Montclair Brewery on Walnut Street in Montclair will hold a Mardi Gras masquerade ball on New Year's Eve. Starts at 8 p.m. and lasts until 1:00 a.m. Tickets to the party are $40.
• The city of Passaic will hold a Piñata Drop, starting at 8 p.m. Dec. 31 and running past midnight. Held on Main Avenue. A piñata will be lowered from 663 Main Ave., the tallest building in the city and confetti will drop on the crowd. Live music and DJs.
• Shannon Rose in Clifton and Ramsey are hosting a New Year’s Eve "Party at the Pub" starting at 9 p.m. Enjoy live music and a champagne toast at midnight. Guests have the option of buying open bar packages. More details on Clifton here, Ramsey here.
• The Circle Line and other area ferry companies are running New Year's Eve cruises. Check out one of them here.
• Heading toward the Hudson River? Jersey City Families has put together a rundown of parties (largely for adults) in Jersey City and Hoboken. Check it out here.
• Blu on the Hudson, a large waterfront restaurant in Weehawken, is hosting special three-course dinners starting at 5 p.m. with access to the dance floor. They also offer views of the fireworks over the Hudson and a Ball Drop Celebration for later seatings. Details are here.
• More info physical fitness? State parks and forests hold a First Day Hike each year on Jan. 1. Find out about New Jersey parks here.
• Fireworks return to New Brunswick: Beginning at 11:30 p.m., the DJ will be spinning music at Monument Square to warm up the crowd and keep the excitement going. Count down to begin the new year with a spectacular fireworks display shot off the roof of The Heldrich Hotel. Many New Brunswick bars and restaurants will be open late for a post-fireworks nightcap.

AN AGE-OLD CELEBRATION

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.

But New Jersey has its own twist on the big ball drop: For the second year in a row, Hackettstown will have its M&M drop, where illuminated pieces of the chocolate candy will be dropped at midnight. Sponsored by the town of Hackettstown, the event goes from 8 p.m. until 12:30 a.m. Dec. 31, and will have music, food trucks, restaurants, breweries and entertainment such as performances from TCA Cheerleaders. It is held at the intersection of Main and High streets in Hackettstown.

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.

This article contains reporting from the Patch national desk