After the highs and lows of 2021, it’s almost time to celebrate the start of the new year. Though the path forward remains uncertain, New York City continues to survive in the face of adversity. Over the past year, the city has come alive once again, slowly regaining the spirit and liveliness that defined it before the pandemic. As we head into 2022, here are some suggestions for fun New Year’s Eve events to close out the year in style.
1. Good Riddance Day at Times Square
In the lead-up to the new year, celebrate the departure of unwanted memories on Good Riddance Day in Times Square. Hosted by the Times Square Alliance, the event is inspired by a Latin American tradition in which New Year’s revelers stuff dolls with objects representing bad memories before setting them on fire.
On December 28, visitors to Times Square for Good Riddance Day will have the opportunity to toss, shred, and smash the unpleasant. embarrassing, and unwanted memories they have amassed over the past year — symbolically creating a clean slate for 2022. To do so, the company Shred-It will host a mobile shredding truck at the Times Square Plaza on Broadway between 45th and 46th Streets.
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.
3. The Grand Hotel NYE At The McKittrick
Serving as the setting for the Macbeth-inspired theater production Sleep No More, the McKittrick is a fictional hotel stated to have been completed in 1939 with the intention of being “New York City’s finest and most decadent luxury hotel.” However, six weeks before opening and two days after the outbreak of World War II, the hotel was condemned and left locked, permanently sealed from the public until being restored and reinvented by Punchdrunk and Emursive. Currently, the hotel consists of three adjoining warehouses in Chelsea‘s gallery district that have been transformed into around 100 rooms and environments including a hospital, mossy garden, and bloody bedroom. It also contains one of New York City’s best hidden bars.
This New Year’s Eve, the McKittrick Hotel will host a night celebration with live performances. Ticket prices start at $200 with the option to get on Maximillian’s List for expedited entry and access to Oz’s Boudoir Bar for the evening. Guests are encouraged to wear their finest festive dress and even have the option of reserving a champagne table exclusively for their party.
4. Virtual New Year’s Day at Merchant’s House Museum
If you’ve ever wondered what it was like to celebrate the new year in the past, look no further than the Merchant’s House Museum New Year’s Day Virtual Celebration. Through an immersive video experience, the museum will take guests back in time to the mid-19th century, giving them a taste of the tradition of paying social calls to family and friends in honor of New Year’s Day.
Guests will learn intimate details about how the Tredwells, the former owners of the Merchant House, decked their house for New Year’s Day. In addition, guests will learn about how the family prepared their list of social calls. Lasting for 30 minutes, the online event is free. There is a suggested donation of $10.
5. NYE Celebration at Bar Blondeau in the Wythe Hotel
On the sixth floor of the Wythe Hotel in Williamsburg is Bar Blondeau, a French-style bar from chef partners Aidan O’Neal and Jake Leiber and restaurateur John Neidich of Golden Age Hospitality. With unobstructed views of the Manhattan skyline, Bar Blondeau serves a seafood-forward menu with French, Spanish, and Portuguese influences.
In honor of New Year’s Eve, Bar Blondeau will host a special drinks, music, and dance celebration featuring a champagne toast at midnight and a performance from Jordan Redaelli, also known as Druggy Paul. General admission to the bar this day opens at 10:00 p.m. and costs $75. In addition, Bar Blondeau will serve a festive four-course prix fixe menu priced at $145 per person beginning at 7:45 p.m.
6. First Day Hike at Shirley Chisholm State Park
To kickstart the new year on the right foot head to Shirley Chisholm State Park for the third annual First Day Hike. Throughout the hike, guests will enjoy the sights and sounds of Jamaica Bay while exploring both the Pennsylvania and Fountain sides of the park. Measuring around 4.5 miles, the hike is scheduled to last approximately 2.5 to 3 hours.
The excursion will be led by the park’s education team. Registration beforehand can be completed by calling (718) 277-2420 ext. 5003. In addition to Shirley Chisholm, first-day guided and self-guided first-day hikes will be held at various other state parks across New York. Walks are designed to be family-friendly and typically range from one to five miles depending on the location and conditions. Other first-day hikes in the area will be located in Staten Island at the Clay Pit Ponds State Park and Mount Loretto Unique Area (DEC).
7. Watch St. John the Divine’s New Year’s Eve Concert for Peace
On December 31, from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. the Cathedral of St. John the Divine will host its annual New Year’s Eve Concert for Peace. The concert tradition was founded by Leonard Bernstein in 1986 as a tribute to the people of New York City and a means of celebrating the season’s music.
Handel’s Water Music Suite D will kick off this year’s concert, followed by Joel Thompson’s riveting Seven Last Words of the Unarmed and David Hurd’s When Night Fell which addresses issues facing our time today. Afterward, a medley of Asian composers including Chen Yi will take over. The night will close with Jamet Pittman singing “This Little Light of Mine” and a performance of J.S. Bach’s setting of “Dona Nobis Pacem” from his Mass in B Minor. General admission to the concert is $40 with preferred seating tickets priced at $100.
8. Poetry Project’s New Year’s Day Reading Marathon
From 11:00 a.m. to midnight on January 1, 2022, the Poetry Project will host its 48th annual New Year’s Day Marathon, alternating between hours of pre-recorded video readings and hours of live performances in the Sanctuary of St. Mark’s Church. The event will be held this year in a hybrid format with attendance limited to 50% capacity allowing for 150 people to participate physically at the Sanctuary. A number of afternoon, evening, and full-day passes will be available for purchase. The remaining guests will be able to live-stream the poetry readings online for free.
The Poetry Project’s annual New Year’s Day Reading Marathon was begun by Anne Waldman in 1974 with 31 poets. Over the years, countless forward-facing luminaries have shared their work including Yoko Ono, Amiri Baraka, Allen Ginsberg, and Patti Smith. This year’s marathon will feature readings and performances from more than 200 poets, artists, writers, dancers, theater markers, and teachers from around the world.
9. NYRR Midnight Running at Central Park
To ring in the new year, head to Central Park for the NYRR Midnight Run. The four-mile run will begin at the stroke of midnight, taking runners on a loop around the park up Cat Hill, past the Engineer’s Gate, alongside the Reservoir, and downhill to the finish line near the Bethesda Terrace.
A pre-race festival will take place at Rumsey Playfield with live music and dancing. Each runner will be allowed to bring up to one additional guest to the festival. Accompanying the start of the race and new year will be a fireworks display lighting up the night sky.
10. Time’s Up! Annual New Year’s Eve Bike Race
For bike enthusiasts the Time’s Up! Annual New Year’s Eve Bike Race is a perfect activity to pursue. The bike ride will begin at 9:00 p.m. at Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn before heading to the Brooklyn side entrance of the Williamsburg Bridge at 9:45 p.m. Afterwards, the next meet up point will be at 10:00 p.m. at the Washington Square Park Arch, with the bikers arriving at Madison Square Park at 10:20 p.m.
From there the riders will travel straight to Belvedere Castle in Central Park where a New Year’s Eve dance party and fireworks display will take place. Riders are encouraged to dress festive and bring party favors to celebrate the start of the new year.
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