NEW YEAR’S EVE IN BILLINGS If you don’t want to go through the hassle of traveling during the holiday season, Billings is a great destination in itself for New Year’s celebrations. For a family friendly event, take the kids to ZooMontana, the state’s only zoo and botanical park, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Zoo Year: A Noon Year’s Eve Celebration features animal encounters, crafts, and a ball drop, followed by an apple juice toast at noon on the plaza. Don’t forget to bring sleds along if there’s snow on the ground, and enjoy sledding the hills in Bison Field. The Billings Symphony hosts Rockin’ New Year’s Eve at the Alberta Bair Theater, with live music from The Bucky Beaver Ground Grippers, The Midlife Chryslers and Ellen and the Old School. Tickets for this live event range from $25 to $50. For winter sports fans, the Billings Bulls will be playing the Bozeman Icedogs at 7:30 p.m. at the Centennial Ice Arena. If one night of New Year’s celebrations isn’t enough, check out Zoso—The Ultimate Led Zeppelin Experience on Friday Dec. 30 at the Pub Station Ballroom for a night of nostalgic live music. The concert costs $18 per person and starts at 9 p.m.
Above: Families celebrate New Year’s Eve at ZooMontana with their ZooYear, A Noon Year’s Eve Celebration with crafts, animals, sledding and a confetti drop. LARRY MAYER/GAZETTE STAFF Right: New Year’s Eve fireworks and torchlight parade at Whitefish, Montana. COURTESY OF BARCLAY Orlando
During New Year’s Eve, Orlando is the destination for families. Area theme parks come alive to say goodbye to the previous year. With no additional charges on the typical admission prices, the New Year is a great excuse to finally bring the kids on that theme park vacation they’ve been wanting. Walt Disney World Resort’s Magic Kingdom features special presentations of the Main Street Electrical Parade and fireworks shows throughout the night. Or, celebrate “the New Year around the world” at the Epcot Center with live DJs and a special presentation of “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth” lights, lasers and fireworks display. For movie lovers, head over to Hollywood Studios to enjoy a collection of Disney movies, music and a kid-friendly DJ dance party around the Sorcerer Hat Stage. Ring in the New Year all before midnight at LEGOLAND’s Kids’ New Year’s Eve, with an exclusive dance party and unique LEGO brick drop. At the end of the night put on special viewing glasses and watch as fireworks explode into millions of tiny LEGO bricks.
NEAR HOME Whitefish
If you are looking to stick around Montana, but still crave a travel getaway, take a trip up to Whitefish. The local ski area, Whitefish Mountain Resort, is celebrating the New Year with an on-snow bar, ski and snowboard rail jam and a torchlight parade down the mountain. The free event starts at 5:15 p.m., with live music from Brent Jameson and the Sordid Seeds starting at 6:45 in Ed & Mully’s, a bar and grill at the base of the resort. At the end of the night, be sure to catch the fireworks extravaganza. After the mountain festivities, follow-up with late night partying at the local independently-operated bar the Bierstube for music, appetizers and a midnight champagne toast. If you aren’t up for braving the cold on the mountain, the Great Northern Bar & Grill has live music from the Lil’ Smokies band. Music starts at 7:30 p.m. with $30 tickets and features special guests Moonshine Mountain.