Visiting the Blue Ridge Parkway for the holidays (or lucky enough to be a local) and looking for unique ways to celebrate New Year’s Eve?
We’ve got your guide for seeing in the New Year at one of these celebrations in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Ridge Region – Virginia
BRP Milepost 0-106
Watch the fireworks at Wintergreen Resort light up the night. If you stay overnight, you won’t even have to drive home after dark!
Or for something a little more active, dance the night away at Stable Craft Brewing with dinner specials, live music and local brews on tap.
Plateau Region – Virginia to NC State line
BRP Milepost 106-217
To close out your year with authentic Southern flavor, look no further than the Floyd Country Store’s Annual New Year’s Eve Dinner & Dance in Floyd, VA. Experience scratch-made local soul food accompanied by bluegrass, old time and classic country favorites to dance in the New Year.
Visit Patrick County for the opportunity to toast the new year from a mountaintop at Primland Resort, Auberge Resorts Collection. Find event details and make reservations at Primland Resort’s website.
Highlands Region – North Carolina
BRP Milepost 217-340
If you’re in Boone, NC you don’t want to miss the New Year’s Eve Ball Drop at the Horton Hotel. The ball will drop from the rooftop lounge with a complimentary champagne toast for hotel guests at midnight. The Horton Hotel offers boutique, pet-friendly accommodations for the utmost in convenience.
Party on a snowy mountain by stopping by the Sugar Mountain Resort’s New Year’s Celebration for their free alpine torch light parade beginning at 11:45pm with fireworks at midnight. Or make reservations for indoor fun for the whole night including live music and champagne toast, fee applies.
And nearby Beech Mountain Resort offers free family-friendly fun in the lodge from 7pm until midnight at their NYE Family Celebration. Food and drinks available for purchase.
Pisgah Region – North Carolina
BRP Milepost 340-469
Enjoy a five-course lakeside dinner and a night of dancing plus a one-night stay with the New Year’s Eve package at beautiful Greystone Inn in Lake Toxaway, NC.
Or for a different twist, watch the apple rise at 7pm in Hendersonville, NC. This family-oriented event begins at 5pm and offers children’s crafts and activities, music and hot beverages.
More New Year’s Events at Nearby National Parks
Shenandoah Region
Near Skyline Drive and the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia (north of BRP Milepost 0)
If you’re active or retired military and getting away for the holiday in the Charlottesville area, Montfair Resort Farm offers a Military Vacation Discount for 15% off cottage rentals. If you’re not military, there’s usually a discount for multi-night stays as well.
The Shenandoah Valley Golf Club in Front Royal, VA promises to ring in the new year with a buffet, ball drop and complimentary champagne toast.
Great Smoky Mountains Region
Near Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee (accessible from BRP Milepost 469)
Adults may enjoy a fabulous dinner and live music at the Mountview Bistro at Fontana Village Resort. Lodging also available at this year-round resort. Reservations required. Details and contact information can be found on their website.
For a family-friendly activity in Bryson City, NC, the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad offers two of their Polar Express Train Rides on December 31.
Gatlinburg, TN goes all out on their Annual New Year’s Eve Ball Drop & Fireworks Show at the iconic Gatlinburg Space Needle. You can catch the festivities and the view from land or air at any one of several parties around town – including by tram at Ober Gatlinburg!
If you plan to add in a New Year’s hike along the Blue Ridge Parkway, be sure to check the road status on the Road Closure Chart. Wishing you a safe and happy New Year wherever your paths may lead you.