12 ways to ring in the New Year across Virginia

From family-friendly celebrations at a zoo to lavish adults-only galas, here are 12 unique ways to ring in the New Year across Virginia. 

Whether you prefer the traditional champagne toast at midnight with your significant other or a family-friendly countdown that still allows the little ones to get to bed on time, Virginia offers plenty of unique ways to celebrate the New Year. From a dance party at a zoo to an elegant champagne toast with the D.C. skyline in the background, here are the top 12 ways in the Commonwealth to ring in 2026.

1. Taubman Museum of Art’s New Year’s Eve Celebration

Location: 110 Salem Ave. SE, Roanoke, VA 24011

Dates: Dec. 31 through Jan. 1 from 9 pm to 12:30 am

Ring in the new year by surrounding yourself with art at the Taubman Museum of Art’s New Year’s Eve Celebration. Attendees can wander through the galleries or dance to the sounds of the seven-piece ensemble The Klaxton Brown Band.

Heavy hor d’oeuvres and desserts will be served along with the evening’s signature cocktail and a champagne toast at midnight. Be on the lookout for the drink hostesses, who will be sporting champagne-colored dresses.

Be sure to commemorate the evening by stopping by the 360-degree photo booth. Tickets are $75 for members and $100 for the public. The event also serves as the kickoff to the museum’s 75th anniversary year.

2. Preceptor Omicron’s New Year’s Eve Gala Celebration

Location: 100 Shenandoah Ave. NW, Roanoke, VA 24016

Date: Dec. 31 to Jan. 1 from 9 pm to 1 am

Preceptor Omicron’s New Year’s Eve Gala Celebration at The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center promises to be a lavish bash spread across two ballrooms. The Roanoke Ballroom will be where The Kings will provide live music, including Top 40, beach music, and oldies hits. In the Crystal Ballroom, The Uptown Trio will perform a mix of jazz, swing, and oldies music. Both ballrooms will be open for dancing.

The countdown will culminate in a midnight balloon drop and a champagne toast. The $130 ticket also includes a buffet.

3. A Wicked New Years Eve–Quirk Hotel

Location: 201 West Broad St., Richmond, VA 23220

Date: Dec. 31 from 9 pm to 11:59 pm

Are you a fan of the Broadway musical or feature film “Wicked?” If so, then A Wicked New Years Eve–Quirk Hotel is the perfect event for you. The evening promises to offer some “Glinda and Elphaba flair,” including a yellow brick road, pink bubbles, witch brooms, and flying monkeys.

A balloon drop will signify the beginning of the new year, along with a prosecco toast. Charcuterie and sweets will be served throughout the night.

For those 21 and over, tickets are $65.87. Attendees are encouraged to wear pink and green.

4. New Year’s Eve Dinner & Dance Live at The Floyd Country Store

Location: 206 South Locust St., Floyd, VA 24091

Date: Dec. 31 from 6:30 to 11:59 pm

Celebrate the arrival of the new year with dinner and dancing at the New Year’s Eve Dinner & Dance Live at The Floyd Country Store. Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the store has been the go-to place to hear local Appalachian music since the 1980s.

Musical entertainment will be provided by Twin Creeks Stringband, Up Jumped Trouble, and Larry Sigmon & The Virginia Girls. The scratch-made dinner will include turkey or ham, along with a variety of sides and dessert options.

Tickets are $50 for dinner and dancing or $20 for dancing. Dinner is served from 6:30 to 7:30 pm, with dancing lasting from 8 pm to midnight.

5. New Year’s Eve Celebration in the Sky!

Location: 300 Army Navy Dr., Arlington, VA 22202

Dates: Dec. 31 to Jan. 1 from 6:30 pm to 1 am

There’s no better way to ring in the new year than with panoramic views of the Washington, D.C. skyline, so consider attending the New Year’s Eve Celebration in the Sky! at the rooftop Skydome Restaurant.

Throughout the night, attendees will be treated to a plated dinner of family-style options that is served in waves. In between courses, attendees can dance to the live music provided by a DJ before toasting the arrival of 2026 with a round of complimentary drinks.

The intimate celebration can only accommodate 70 guests, with tickets at $225 per person.

6. Dancing Through the Decades

Location: 115 Hotel Circle, Pembroke, VA 24136

Date: Dec. 31 from 8 pm to 11:59 pm

There’s no better place to dance the night away in anticipation of the arrival of the new year than at Mountain Lake Lodge, where the iconic film “Dirty Dancing” was shot in 1986. The lodge will be hosting two dance parties, including a family-friendly glow dance party with a DJ in the ballroom and live music from The Decades Band in Mary’s Barn.

Admission to the Dancing Through the Decades event is included with a stay at the lodge, which also includes breakfast, a $100 resort credit, and a bottle of champagne for a New Year’s toast.

7. Noon New Year’s Eve

Location: 221 High St., Portsmouth, VA 23704

Date: Dec. 31 from 11 am to 1 pm

Celebrate the arrival of 2026 with your little ones at noon on Dec. 31 by watching a glittery ball drop at the Children’s Museum of Virginia’s Noon New Year’s Eve. The free event will feature face painting and a juice box toast.

8. Noon Year’s Eve

Location: 3500 Granby St., Norfolk, VA 23504

Date: Dec. 31 from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm

Noon Year’s Eve offers families the opportunity to celebrate the new year at the Virginia Zoo without having to stay up too late. Children can enjoy the “wild” dance party, sparkling juice toast, and ball drop at noon. The event kicks off the zoo’s 125th anniversary year.

Tickets range from $17-$20 with all-day zoo access and photo-ops with Tango the Tiger included.

9. Glowing Noon Year’s Eve

Location: 524 J. Clyde Morris Blvd., Newport News, VA 23601

Date: Dec. 31 from 10 am to 2 pm

The Virginia Living Museum is celebrating the end of 2025 and the start of 2026 with a Glowing Noon Year’s Eve, a family-friendly event with dancing, games, science demonstrations, and multiple countdowns.

Attendees are encouraged to bring their dancing shoes. Admission is free with museum admission or membership.

10. Olde Towne Scottish Walk

Location: 424 Washington St., Portsmouth, VA 23704

Date: Dec. 31 at 4 pm

The Olde Towne Scottish Walk is an annual tradition for those in eastern Virginia, resembling the Scottish Hogmanay Festival, where townsfolk come together as a community to bless the new year.

The free event is a raucous celebration through the storied streets of Olde Towne that’s led by pipe-and-drum bands. The event culminates in the collective singing of “Auld Lang Syne” as participants hold hands.

11. Crab Pot Drop

Location: Mason Avenue, Cape Charles

Date: Dec. 31 from 8 pm to 10 pm

The Crab Pot Drop is the only way to ring in the new year right in Cape Charles. The massive crab pot, which is decked out in festive decorations, is lowered into the water at midnight in the same fashion as the Times Square ball is lowered in New York City.

Organizers encourage attendees to arrive early to get a prime viewing spot.

12. Fincastle New Years’ Eve Bell Ringing

Location: Downtown Fincastle

Dates: Dec. 31 to Jan. 1 from 11:45 pm to 12:10 am

The Fincastle New Years’ Eve Bell Ringing tradition has been carried out for more than a century and a half. The tradition has been kept alive by a handful of local families.

Starting 15 minutes before midnight, bells from churches throughout the town begin to toll. When midnight strikes, “Taps” is played out of respect for the previous year. From there, the digits of the new year are struck, which is followed by three firings of a shotgun. The shots signal to the bells that they should continue ringing for 10 more minutes to celebrate the new year.