New Year’s Eve 2022 In, Around Croton, Ossining

OSSINING, NY — The Hudson Valley is always a happening place on New Year's Eve and much less of a headache than heading to New York City to celebrate.

In addition to the New Year's Eve Ball Drop and fireworks in White Plains, there are several local restaurants having special celebratory dinners.

If you're looking for family-friendly fun, Untermyer Gardens Grand Holiday Illumination in Yonkers, the 2nd Annual Great Holiday Train Show in Chappaqua, Lasdon Holidays on the Hill Annual Train Show in Somers, and Westchester County's Winter Wonderland Drive-Thru Holiday Light Extravaganza will still be taking place on New Year's Eve.

See ALSO: White Plains Plans New Year's Eve Ball Drop, Fireworks

Here is a look at events happening nearby:

Westchester County

• 3 Westerly Bar and Grill, Ossining. NYE Celebration. Live DJ Live Telecast Ball Drop Complementary Party Favors, Complementary Champagne Toast at Midnight. Reservations: 5pm - Close Kitchen open 5pm-11pm.
• Flames Bar and Grill, Briarcliff Manor. A night of music, dancing, and celebration. Seatings from 4-6, 6-8, and 9-Until closing. 914-923-3100.
• The Pleasantville Manor, Pleasantville. Live entertainment, cocktail hour and four-course meal. Open bar. Reservations call 914-769-5010
• Paramount Theatre, Peekskill. Almost Queen returns for another New Year’s Celebration!
• The New Year's Celebration, Dave & Buster's, Pelham. Celebrate early with the whole family. Starts at 4 p.m. and includes mouthwatering food, thrilling arcade games, video ball drop and fun for the whole family. Enjoy a special video countdown and Ginger Ale Toast at 6 p.m. to ring in 2023. Event concludes at 7 p.m. Admission Ticket is required for entry to the event.

• Untermyer Gardens Grand Holiday Illumination, Yonkers. Will continue through Jan. 1.
• 2nd Annual Great Holiday Train Show at Horace Greeley House Museum, Chappaqua. Will continue through Jan 8. Tickets are available here.
• Misha Piatigorsky Trio New Year’s Extravaganza, Jazz on Main, Mount Kisco, 8 p.m., 11 p.m. Ring in the New Year at the best party in town, Gatsby style.
• New Year's Eve at Ibiza Kitchen, Chappaqua
• New Year’s Eve at Mentor’s Mediterranean, Chappaqua
• Snowy Story Times, Westchester Children’s Museum, Rye, 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m. Join your museum friends for daily storytimes, where they'll be reading stories all about snowy, winter days. Free with museum admission.
• Lasdon Holidays on the Hill Annual Train Show, Somers. Will continue through Dec. 31. Tickets are available here.
• New Year's Eve Goosefeather x Hudson Horns, Tarrytown. 10 p.m. Chef Dale will be hosting this party across the Lawn from Goosefeather at The Carriage House on the Tarrytown House Estate property.
• New Year’s Eve Family Spectacular! White Plains 10:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Main Street at Court Street. There will be live music, the ball drop and fireworks.
• Westchester County’s Winter Wonderland Drive-Thru Holiday Light Extravaganza, Valhalla. Will continue through Jan. 1. Tickets are available here.
• Dark Star Orchestra, The Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, 8 p.m. "Performing to critical acclaim for over 20 years and over 3000 shows, Dark Star Orchestra continues the Grateful Dead live concert experience."

Mid-Hudson Valley

• Clocktower Grill, Brewster. NYE dueling maestros tasting dinner! 12 courses very limited seating by reservation only. reserve your seat.
• Goshen: Legoland New York’s Holiday Bricktacular continues through Jan. 1. You and your family can get in the holiday spirit with a holiday garland, lights and photo moments throughout the event. For more information, go here.
• Newburgh: The Newburgh Brewing Company is having a New Year’s Eve Day event from noon to 5 p.m. The family-friendly party is for "walk-ins" only. Designed for people with kids who won’t make it until midnight, there will be $5 beer all afternoon, a champagne toast at 4 p.m. and a DJ. No charge; no cover. For more information, go here.
• Staatsburgh: The Staatsburgh State Historic Site presents A Gilded Age Christmas, which shows off the mansion’s beautiful interiors decorated for the holiday season. Open Dec. 27 through Dec. 31. For more information, go here.
• Find tickets for Back To The Eighties Show with Jessie's Girl showing at the Daryl's House, Pawling. 5 p.m. Tickets starting at $59.62 Read more on TicketWeb.

Rockland County

• Have a blast in Blauvelt at the Rockland Cider Works. There’s a special day planned for New Year's Eve from noon to 10 p.m. For more info, call 1-845-548-6837.
• New Year's-ish at The Greekish Nyack. Enjoy a four-course meal—and a glass of bubbly for dessert—for just $95 per person. Information and tickets here.
• The Hotel Nyack is hosting its annual party with a Roaring '20s theme. DRESS CODE: GATSBY. Eat dinner first or hit the party only in the Ballroom from 9 p.m.- 1 a.m. Play it smart and stay the night! For tickets, go here.
• Brasserie D in Nyack will have two seating times for NYE with the first seating between 5:30 and 6pm including the regular menu and specials and the later seating at 9pm serving a prix fixe 5-course meal with plenty of choices for $110/person. More details can be found on the restaurant’s website and reservations can be made by calling 845-353-2191.
• In Pearl River, Mickey's Tavern hosts a New Year's Eve Party with a DJ and dancing. 50 E Central Ave, 50 East Central Ave.
• In Piermont, the Rivertown Taphouse is hosting a New Year's Party from 8 p.m. – 1:30  a.m. Find more information here.
• Maura’s Kitchen in Nyack offers the ability to dabble in the NYE spirit – 4 wine tastings and 1 full wine glass with dinner along with live music, complimentary champagne toast, and party favors. Early bird seating is at 5pm for $60/person, regular seating is at 6:30pm and 8:30pm for $75/person.

Getting around safely as you ring in the new year is, of course, the most important thing. Public transit systems will, in most cases, be operating on a modified holiday schedule.

Metro-North Railroad:

• On Saturday, Dec. 31, Metro-North will operate on a Saturday schedule, with additional outbound service from Grand Central operating from midnight until 5 a.m. West of the Hudson lines will have additional service after midnight on the Pascack Valley and Port Jervis lines.
• On Sunday, Jan. 1, Metro-North will operate on a Sunday schedule.
• On Monday, Jan. 2, Metro-North will operate on a Saturday schedule with additional service on East and West of Hudson lines.

SEE ALSO: First Day Hikes Will Kick Off 2023 Around The Hudson Valley

In the United States, one of the most popular New Year’s Eve traditions is, of course, the dropping of the giant ball in New York City’s Times Square. Various cities have adopted their own iterations of the event — the Peach Drop in Atlanta, the Chick Drop in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and the giant Potato Drop in Boise, Idaho.

The end of one year and beginning of another is often celebrated with 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 history of New Year’s resolutions dates back 8,000 years to ancient Babylonians, who would make promises to return borrowed objects and pay outstanding debts at the beginning of the new year, in mid-March when they planted their crops.

According to legend, if they kept their word, pagan gods would grant them favor in the coming year. If they broke the promise, they would fall out of God’s favor, according to a history of New Year’s resolutions compiled by North Hampton Community College New Center in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

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 myriad 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 and a plan to meet the stress and discomfort of changing a habit or condition.