Where to bring in the New Year on Cape Cod

Frankie Rowley, Cape Cod Times
·6 min read

Still so overwhelmed from Christmas that you forgot New Year's is right around the corner? Well, you're not alone. As stockings and trees are being taken down, lights and ornaments put back in boxes, and non-holiday music returns to airwaves, planning for New Year's can sometimes get placed on the back burner.

But we're here to fix that. Whether you like New Year's or think it's overrated, everyone deserves to have a good time saying goodbye to the old and hello to the new.

There is something for everyone on Cape Cod whether you want to watch fireworks, dance the night away at a fancy party or wake before dawn for a sunrise hike. So, in the spirit of "Auld Lang Syne" and/or new beginnings in 2024 here are some places on the Cape to bring in the New Year.

Where to bring in the New Year on Cape Cod

First Night Chatham

Chatham’s 33rd annual First Night is set for Dec. 31. Join the locals to enjoy over 70 performances as festivities begin at noon and end with fireworks at 10 p.m.

While many familiar faces, including the Cape Cod Fiddlers, Suede, and Sarah Swain and the Oh Boys will be performing at the event, some new artists, like The Schtick Band, and new performances — including a Broadway Musical Theater tribute to William Shakespeare and Women Rock! A Musical Celebration of the Greatest Women Rockers — as seen at the Cotuit Center for the Arts — have been added to the festivities.

Chatham's First Night fireworks will go off again this year over Veterans Field.
Chatham's First Night fireworks will go off again this year over Veterans Field.

Fireworks launch from Veterans Field at 6:30 p.m. following the Noise Parade. Spectators can watch the show from the Veterans Field parking lot and on the fields behind the Chatham Community Center.

Be sure to buy your button from local establishments in order to attend most of the indoor events and some outdoor events. Buttons are $25 for adults (12 and up) and $5 for kids (3 to 11). Children 2 and under attend for free. For more information about buttons, parking and a full list of events visit www.firstnightchatham.com/index.html/.

First Light Provincetown

From Dec. 29 to Jan. 1, celebrate the New Year during First Light in Provincetown.

Catch the last days of the Canteen Holiday Market, some performances from Well Strung and Lea DeLaria and bring in the new year with Ball Drop Bingo at the Crown and Anchor and fireworks over MacMillan Pier.

Fireworks light up the sky during First Night celebrations in 2018.
Fireworks light up the sky during First Night celebrations in 2018.

If you’re looking to start the New Year off on a more active note, consider participating in the Light Bright Bike Ride or Polar Bear Polar Plunge on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1, respectively. The ride is free to participate in and the plunge costs $60 to enter.

A full list of events and how to buy tickets for shows can be found at www.ptown.org/calendars/first-light/.

Pelham House Bash

If you’re in the mood to party, consider getting tickets for Pelham House’s New Year's Bash. Enjoy the all-you-can-eat New Year’s Eve menu featuring a raw bar, rolled-to-order sushi, a carving station, a mashed potato bar and more plus entertainment from the Accent Band and a midnight champagne toast.

Pelham House is hosting a New Year's Bash on Dec. 31.
Pelham House is hosting a New Year's Bash on Dec. 31.

Festivities begin at 8 p.m. and end at 1 a.m. Tickets are $220 per person and can be purchased online at www.pelhamhouseresort.com/newyearseve/. A cash bar will be available throughout the evening.

Nantucket Hotel

The Nantucket Hotel is also hosting a New Year’s Eve dinner and gala this year. Join the hotel staff for dinner with seatings from 5 to 8:45 p.m. followed by a gala.

Dinner is a prix fixe New Year's Eve menu featuring a selection of appetizers, think Blue Crab Salad, entrées including Rosemary Pepper Beef Tenderloin and dessert, such as flourless chocolate cake. Dinner is $125 per person.

The Nantucket Hotel’s “10 is the New Midnight” gala begins at 8 p.m. and ends at 1 a.m. featuring live music from DJ Billy Voss, hosted by Voss and Adam Dread. Light bites and desserts will be served at the gala as well. Gala tickets are $89.

To make a dinner reservation or purchase tickets for the Nantucket Hotel’s New Year’s Eve Gala, visit www.thenantuckethotel.com/signature-experiences/new-years-eve/.

Cotuit Center for the Arts

Bring in the New Year with a couple of laughs at Scamps Comedy New Year's Eve at the Cotuit Center for the Arts. Hosted by Barnstable native Jim Ruberti and starring headliner Paul Nardizzi — as seen on “Late Night with Conan O'Brien”  and Comedy Central — and former Vegas comedian Joni Grassey, the show is expected to bring some joy to the end of your year.

Audience members must be 18 or older to attend one of three shows — 5 p.m., 7 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. — on Dec. 31. Tickets are $37 for adults, $35 for seniors and $32 for members. Doors open an hour prior to the show and a cash bar will be available. For tickets and more information, visit www.artsonthecape.org/.

Sea Crest Beach Hotel

Join in the celebrations at Sea Crest Beach Hotel for its New Year’s celebration with a buffet dinner — featuring Lobster Bisque, Huckleberry Duck Breast and a Winter Farro and Kale Salad — and a champagne toast at midnight and live music from That 80s Band.

If you’re in the mood to keep the party going past midnight, consider splurging on the New Year’s Celebration package which includes overnight accommodation and dinner tickets for two. Depending on which room you choose, prices for the New Year’s package range from $499 to $549. An additional New Year’s Eve package including breakfast for two at Red’s Restaurant on New Year’s Day, is available for an extra $50.

To purchase tickets for Sea Crest's New Year's Eve celebration, call 508-356-2173. For more information and to book a stay, visit www.seacrestbeachhotel.com/.

Barnstable Land Trust

If you’re not a party person or are just looking to get outdoors and active on New Year’s Day, consider hitting the trails with the Barnstable Land Trust during First Day Hikes.

Get outside on New Year's Day with Barnstable Land Trust and Harwich Conservation Trust for a sunrise hike at Red River Beach, part of the BLT's First Day Hike series.
Get outside on New Year's Day with Barnstable Land Trust and Harwich Conservation Trust for a sunrise hike at Red River Beach, part of the BLT's First Day Hike series.

Hikes — 18 of them to be exact — will be taking place throughout New Year's Day, beginning with a sunrise beach walk at 6:30 a.m. at Red River Beach in Harwich, hosted by the Harwich Conservation Trust, and ending with a hike around the Portanimicut Greenbelt in Orleans, hosted by the Orleans Conservation Trust.

All hikes are free to attend. Participants can register for First Day Hikes online at www.blt.org/firstdayhikescapecod.

Celebrate New Year's Day with doughnut wall at Wequassett in Harwich

For those who prefer to welcome 2024 with a hearty meal, Wequassett Resort and Golf Club, open for its first New Year's since going to a year round schedule last February, is hosting a brunch. Prepared by the resort's executive chef James Hackney, brunch includes a doughnut wall, French toast made with rich challah bread, short rib toast with eggs and more. Yes, mimosas are on the menu. The New Years Day brunch is $50 per person. The hotel is also hosting a New Year's Eve party at $350 per person with entertainment from Ray Greene & The AllNighters.

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Cape Cod New Year's Celebrations