While the North America ski season is just getting underway in December, there’s no better way to close out the year than by taking in the holiday vibe and New Year’s Eve celebrations in ski towns. It’s also a great time to dust off your boots, wax your skis or board, and get in some warm-up laps before the heart of the ski season. Here are the best ski towns in North America for New Year’s Eve. Event times and ticketed parties change each year, so check each resort’s events calendar as December 31 approaches. For more inspiration, see our companion article on the best New Year’s Eve fireworks at ski resorts, and our guide to the best ski resorts for the holidays.
The Best Ski Towns for New Year’s Eve
Telluride, Colorado
Make sure you’re outside in Telluride in the early evening on New Year’s Eve. Look to the top of the mountain for flashing red lights, as Telluride’s ski patrol, carrying blazing torches, skis down into Mountain Village for this longstanding holiday tradition. Given the incredible views in this little mountain town, the show can be seen from just about anywhere in downtown Telluride. Stick around for the Mountain Village fireworks show shortly after, best viewed from the gondola or the plaza in the Village Core.
Colorado Avenue is the place to be at midnight on New Year’s Eve, in front of the historic courthouse. Locals and guests alike flood Main Street to celebrate New Year’s Eve, Telluride style, and there’s live music all over town.
Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Jackson Hole is known for more than its challenging terrain and Western vibes; it also throws a killer party to end the year. Each year, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and the Teton Village Association put on Winterfest, a multi-day holiday celebration full of activities, including skating, cookie decorating, movie nights, scavenger hunts, and more. New Year’s Eve brings a full day of events, including the Glow Worm Parade, a kids’ version of the torchlight parade with glow sticks instead of torches, followed by the traditional torchlight parade and fireworks in Teton Village.
Park City, Utah
Park City Mountain celebrates New Year’s Eve in Canyons Village with live music, fireworks, and family fun. Park City’s other ski resort, Deer Valley Resort, hosts its annual torchlight parade, with complimentary cookies, hot chocolate, and cider at Snow Park Plaza. Families can also find kids’ New Year’s Eve programs and adult parties at hotels around Canyons Village, including Pendry Park City.
On Main Street you’ll find plenty of New Year’s Eve parties and special menus at Park City restaurants and bars. Check out the Park City Area Restaurant Association’s event calendar as December 31 approaches. Many restaurants host New Year’s Eve dinners and parties, including Riverhorse on Main, one of the oldest and most distinguished restaurants in Park City.
Stowe, Vermont
Few places do end-of-year celebrations like Stowe. Spruce Peak Village is the place to be on New Year’s Eve, with complimentary cookies and hot chocolate, ice skating performances, live music, and fireworks. Then hit up a few Stowe breweries before kicking back at the Trapp Family Lodge’s Austrian-style Bierhall, with hearty Austrian cuisine paired with, of course, some tasty beer. Live music and entertainment happen all over town on New Year’s Eve, and plenty of Stowe restaurants and bars throw their own parties.
Snow Summit, California
The spectacle of the annual New Year’s Eve Torchlight Parade shimmering off Big Bear Lake is something Southern Californians look forward to year after year. The evening typically kicks off with live music, followed by the parade, when more than 200 skiers and snowboarders wind down the slopes carrying torches to form a path of light that can be seen around the lake from miles away. Afterward, head to any number of fun bars in Big Bear to ring in the new year.
Whistler, British Columbia
Dress warm, grab a cup of hot chocolate, and take in all of Whistler’s live entertainment on New Year’s Eve, including ski and snowboard big air displays, fire spinners, live DJs, and fireworks. Don’t miss the Luminosity Parade through Whistler Village, complete with LED-clad dancers, stilt walkers, and jugglers, followed by the Fire and Ice Show at Skier’s Plaza, with pyrotechnics, music, and freestyle skiing and riding from Whistler Blackcomb Snow School pros. Fireworks cap off the night.
Sun Peaks, British Columbia
Don’t sleep on some of Canada’s lesser-known ski resorts, like Sun Peaks, for New Year’s Eve. Festivities include a glow stick parade that kids can take part in, as long as they can confidently ski or ride the route, plus a torchlight parade for strong intermediate skiers and riders 16 and up. A live DJ hypes up the crowd for a freestyle show featuring local shredders, and the evening culminates with fireworks.
Sun Valley, Idaho
America’s first destination ski resort is a fitting place to ring in the new year. Sun Valley Resort has hosted a glamorous New Year’s Eve party at the base of Bald Mountain, with champagne, bites, a DJ, and a midnight toast; check the resort’s events page for this year’s details. For a more family-friendly New Year’s Eve in Sun Valley, enjoy some evening turns before music under the stars and fireworks.
South Lake Tahoe, Nevada/California
Fire, lights, and music fill the air on Lake Tahoe’s South Shore for New Year’s Eve. Live music runs through the evening, and at the moment the ball drops in New York City’s Times Square, Heavenly hosts its signature gondola ball drop above the crowd, followed by fireworks over Heavenly Village. The party continues into the night at casino nightclubs in Stateline, and many restaurants and bars throw their own New Year’s Eve parties.
Aspen, Colorado
There’s nothing quite like New Year’s Eve in Aspen, where high-end après-ski is part of the culture. Daytime festivities in town typically include fireside s’mores, hot chocolate, and DJs, plus public ice skating for families. Catch the fireworks show above Aspen Mountain in the evening, then head to one of Aspen’s many restaurants hosting New Year’s Eve dinners.
If you’re looking to hit the late-night scene, plan ahead and reserve tickets. Aspen’s landmark hotels, including The Little Nell and Hotel Jerome, are known for hosting some of the most glamorous New Year’s Eve parties in ski country.
Sugarloaf, Maine
The last week of December brings nonstop activities and entertainment to Sugarloaf, including live music, film screenings, and more, building up to a full lineup of family-friendly events on New Year’s Eve. Don’t miss the fireworks on the Landing. Afterward, catch live music at Sugarloaf’s famous bar, the Widowmaker, which typically hosts a 21-and-over New Year’s Eve show with a midnight champagne toast.
Smugglers’ Notch, Vermont
Smugglers’ Notch offers a whole host of activities for families during the last week of the year, from welcome bonfires and hot chocolate to game shows, glow tubing on LED-lit lanes, and a Friendly Pirate Party. New Year’s Eve builds to a fireworks display at the Gazebo, followed by a party at the Meeting House. Once the kids go to bed, there’s 21-and-over karaoke at Bootleggers’ Lounge until the ball drops at midnight.
Header image: ©Park City Mountain/Vail Resorts
