New Year’s Eve 2022 Around Nyack, Piermont

NYACK, NY — Hanging out in Rockland County on New Year's Eve is much less of a headache than heading to New York City to celebrate.

There are several local venues having special celebrations. Clarkstown is even hosting a banquet for its senior citizen community.

In addition, there's an outdoor event much closer than Times Square: the New Year's Eve Ball Drop and fireworks in White Plains. If you're willing to venture further afield 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.

Here is a look at just some of the events happening throughout the Hudson Valley:

ROCKLAND COUNTY:

• Clarkstown is hosting Ring in the New Year, a banquet for senior citizens, at the community center in New City. Doors open at 2:45 p.m. and the buffet begins at 3:30 p.m.
• 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.

ORANGE/DUTCHESS COUNTIES:

• 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.

WESTCHESTER COUNTY

• New Year’s Eve Salsa Spectacular 2023, Empire Ballroom, Radisson, New Rochelle
• 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.
• Rye Noon Year’s Eve Party, Rye Free Reading Room, Rye. 11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. Ring in the New Year at the Rye Free Reading Room! Come to the library to make some 2023-themed crafts, have some snacks and stick around for our countdown to 12 p.m. This party is a great option for kids who want to celebrate but are not yet ready to stay up until midnight. Registration required. Open to all kids under 12 and families.
• 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.
• 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."
• 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 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.

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.