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New Year's Eve Weekend in Westchester and the Hudson Valley with Kids: Countdown to 2026

Celebrate the new year before dark with crafts, confetti, and a dance party at the Westchester Children's Museum. Photo courtesy of the museum
Celebrate the new year before dark with crafts, confetti, and a dance party at the Westchester Children's Museum. Photo courtesy of the museum
12/30/25 - By Katherine Dhurandhar

Looking for the best things to do in Westchester and the Hudson Valley this New Year's Eve weekend? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your list.

Families can have a bricktacular New Year's Eve at Legoland New York, featuring an early countdown and Lego ball drop, plus all the other festivities throughout the day. Or enjoy cupcake decorating, a DJ dance party, and a confetti-filled ball drop and countdown to 2026 at the New Year's Eve Kids' Countdown at the Westchester Children's Museum. 

If you're not too tired after all the fun, explore the outdoors on a guided First-Day Hike through Rockwood Hall in Rockefeller State Park Preserve, or kick off maple sugaring season at Muscoot Farm's FREE Backyard Sugarin'.

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Best Things To Do New Year's Eve Weekend in Westchester and the Hudson Valley with Kids

New Year's Eve at Legoland New York

Goshen
Wednesday, December 31
Ring in the new year with a bricktastic New Year's Eve celebration! Watch the LEGO ball drop at 4:45pm, happening right by the LEGO Christmas tree near the entrance of the Park.  READ MORE

New Year's Eve Kids' Countdown - Westchester Children's Museum

Rye
Wednesday, December 31
Ring in the new year at this all-day celebration at the Westchester Children's Museum with cupcake decorating, a DJ dance party, crafts, and a confetti-filled ball drop and countdown. READ MORE

Noon Year's Eve at Legoland Discovery Center

Yonkers
Wednesday, December 31
Celebrate the new year with a Lego balloon drop and a dance party with the Lego characters at Legoland Discovery Center's Noon Year's Eve Celebration. Grab a complimentary noise maker and ring in the new year with a glass of sparkling apple cider! READ MORE

New Year's at Noon at the Mid-Hudson Discovery Museum

Poughkeepsie
Wednesday, December 31
Celebrate New Year's Eve in daylight hours at the Mid-Hudson Discovery Museum with music provided by Lutz Entertainment, special activities for kids of all ages, refreshments, and of course, noisemakers, as everyone counts down to noon. READ MORE

Cornwall on Hudson New Year's Eve Junior Ball Drop

Cornwall on Hudson – FREE
Wednesday, December 31
Enjoy an early New Year's Eve celebration in the Village Square of Cornwall-on-Hudson. There will be music, tabletop s'mores, fireworks, and more for those who would like to celebrate the new year a little earlier. READ MORE

New Year's Eve Fireworks at Hunter Mountain

Hunter – FREE
Wednesday, December 31
Ring in the new year at Hunter Mountain Ski Resort with a torch light parade, fireworks, and surprises! READ MORE

New Year’s Eve Party at The Kartrite

Monticello
Wednesday, December 31
Ring in the New Year at The Kartrite Resort & Indoor Waterpark, where the celebration is as vibrant as the setting itself. Start the night with a Splash — the ultimate waterpark party full of excitement and energy — and end with a bang as fireworks light up the night sky. READ MORE

New Year's Eve Day Party at Robibero Winery

New Paltz
Wednesday, December 31
Kick off your New Year’s celebrations early at Robibero Winery! Whether you’re celebrating with friends or kids who won’t make it to midnight, this daytime party is the perfect way to end the year. Kids can have fun with crafts, festive party horns, and a bonfire with s'mores, while parents enjoy wine tastings and live music with a complimentary 4pm countdown toast! READ MORE

First Day Hike at Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park

Poughkeepsie – FREE
Thursday, January 1, 2026
Celebrate the New Year outdoors at the traditional first day hike at Walkway over the Hudson. Choose from a short walk to the flagpole (3/4 miles) or an extended loop along the Hudson River (3 miles). READ MORE

First-Day Hike at Rockefeller State Park Preserve

Pleasantville – FREE
Thursday, January 1, 2026
Start your New Year with an invigorating 1.5 mile walk along the Hudson River across the beautiful landscape of Rockwood Hall. The hike is guided by Larry Trachtenberg of the Sawmill River Audubon Society, who will keep an eye out for winter birds including both bald eagles and the red tailed hawks often seen in this part of the preserve. READ MORE

First Day Walk at FDR State Park

Yorktown Heights – FREE
Thursday, January 1, 2026
Ramble through FDR State Park with your guide Terence Ducey and see seldom-seen areas of the park on this fun and fact-filled first day hike.  READ MORE

Celebrate Three Kings Day/Dia de Reyes at the White Plains Library

White Plains – FREE
Saturday, January 3
Families from all backgrounds are invited to celebrate and learn about the significance of Three Kings Day in this program at the White Plains Public Library, including a bilingual storytime. READ MORE

Backyard Sugarin' at Muscoot Farm

Katonah – FREE
Saturday & Sunday, January 3-4
Kick off maple sugaring season by making maple syrup right in your backyard! Meet at Muscoot's Sugar Shack to learn about the equipment you need, identifying sugar maples in all seasons, the right way to tap trees, and how to turn sap from maples in your yard into syrup on your pancakes. READ MORE

Family Science Workshop: Visualizing Heat at the Hudson River Museum

Yonkers – FREE
Saturday & Sunday, January 3-4
Stop by this family science workshop every weekend in January at the Hudson River Museum. Using liquid crystals and swirling waters, visualize the intensity and flow of heat energy in the world around us. Inspired by the exhibitions DRAW: Heat and Throwing Shade on Extreme Heat. READ MORE

Planetarium Laser Shows - Hudson River Museum

Yonkers
Select dates through Sunday, January 4
This holiday season, experience Planetarium Laser Shows at the Hudson River Museum, featuring holiday classics alongside the music of some of the most famous pop artists in history! These audiovisual spectacles fuse synchronized laser light displays with unforgettable tracks, from classic holiday tunes and “The Nutcracker" to iconic pop songs by The Beatles, Beyoncé, Bad Bunny, and Taylor Swift.  READ MORE
Take in a mid-day new year's celebration at the Mid-Hudson Discovery Museum. Photo courtesy of the museum
Take in a mid-day new year's celebration at the Mid-Hudson Discovery Museum. Photo courtesy of the museum

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About the Author

Katherine Dhurandhar
Katherine Dhurandhar is a Community Publisher for Mommy Poppins, representing the Westchester and Hudson Valley region of New York, and a freelance copyeditor for Westchester Publishing Company. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, camping, and traveling with her husband and son.
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