2. Polar Plunge at Coney Island
If you’re not too averse to the cold weather, head down to Coney Island on January 1 to participate in the annual New Year’s Day Polar Bear Plunge. The event is organized by the Coney Island Polar Bear Club, the oldest winter bathing club in the United States. Founded in 1903 by Bernarr Macfadden, a Victorian-era bodybuilder and celebrity, members of the club dive into the frigid Atlantic Ocean every Sunday at 1:00 p.m. from November to April. One of the club’s founding beliefs is that the winter ocean plunge serves as a “boon to one’s stamina, virility, and immunity.”
At 1:00 p.m. on New Year’s Day, hundreds of brave souls will dive into the water — not only cleansing their souls but also raising money for various local community nonprofits including the New York Aquarium, the Coney Island History Project, Coney Island USA, and Coney Island YMCA, among others. Accompanying the 119th Annual Coney Island Polar Bear Club New Year’s Day Plunge will be an all-day boardwalk party with DJs and hundreds of non-participating onlookers eager to view the event after its cancellation the previous year. Prior online registration is required with no participation fee included.
