9 Fun Things to Do on New Year’s Eve in New York Without Alcohol

As we say goodbye to 2024, many people may want to avoid the drunken traditions that come with the turning of the calendar for a variety of reasons. And, while New York’s celebrations mostly focus on drinking and drunken revelry, there are a few options for those who want to get out into the world without passing out.

Go out to a zero-proof bar

Just because you’re not drinking on New Year’s Eve doesn’t mean you can’t go out to a bar. You are even lucid enough to follow all these negative points! Café Hecate at Alphabet City bills itself as a “low-key, intimate bar” and offers the best beers and mocktails (known as mocktails in some areas), as well as even more extravagant drinks like “coffee” and ” tea “. As an added bonus, Hécate stays open until 10 p.m. each night, so you can probably avoid most of the craziness. Keep in mind: there is no guarantee that you won’t have an amazing time!

Check out the favorites of the New York Botanical Garden’s Holiday Train Show

The New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx has been hosting the Holiday Train Show for three decades now, so if you haven’t had the chance to check out the impressive locomotive exhibit… do it! There is even “glittering plant-based replicas of famous local architecture» to enjoy with trains. Timed tickets run $35 for adults on New Year’s Eve, or you can get a flexible ticket to enter any time of day for $45.

Go cycling for the environment

Once again, the Future positive bike ride for New Year’s Eve will be picking up runners from all over the city to raise awareness about the current environmental plight, which is… well, it’s certainly a plight. This year’s theme focuses on positivity and bringing people together. There will be three official pick-up locations in the city: 9:45 p.m. at the Williamsburg Bridge entrance, Brooklyn side; 10:00 p.m. at Washington Square Park Arch, Manhattan; 10:20 p.m. at Madison Square Park, 23rd and Broadway, Flatiron side. It all ends with an epic party at Belvedere Castle. The event is BYOB (bring your own bike). It lasts about two hours and it’s free.

Rest up and take the polar plunge on January 1st

THE Coney Island Polar Bear Club that’s it again! It’s the oldest winter swimming club in the country and the New Year’s Polar Plunge has been held since 1903. You must be a member to participate in the weekly swim sessions, but anyone can do so. register and register at New Year’s Divewhich begins at 11 a.m. on January 1.

See the light show at Prospect Park

There will be no fireworks in the city this year, despite recent rains. But when life gives you lemons, you should make one a huge light show on Brooklyn’s most famous park. You may remember that a fire recently ravaged areas of Prospect Park and the drought has not let up. No one wants to start the new year with a wildfire, right? The show will be would have feature shapes of New York City icons like the Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge, but details are still scarce at this point.

Let yourself be tempted at the Sex Museum and Super Funland

Or try someone else – we’re not here to judge. The sex museum is open on New Year’s Eve, with last entry at 6:00 p.m. tickets cost $36and now you can consult Great land of pleasurean erotic carnival. A ticket gives you access to the museum and the carnival.

Meet at the Chinatown Fair Family Fun Center

THE Chinatown Fair Family Entertainment Center is a New York institution that reopened under new management a little over a decade ago. So while it’s not quite the legend it once was – no chicken playing tic-tactoe, for example – you can still experience one of Chinatown’s many cultural offerings without spending a dime on alcohol. Just keep in mind that this won’t be the slick, modern arcade operation of, say, Dave & Buster’s. It’s basically a hole-in-the-wall store in Chinatown. But that’s what makes New York, baby. And there are plenty arcade games to entertain you until midnight, closing time.

Hanging out with cats in a cafe

Although we proposed Brooklyn Cat Cafe as an alcohol-free option last year, it will be closed on New Year’s Eve this year. The good news is that you now have the opportunity to try a new feline resting space. Meow Parlor on Essex Street 50 minute sessions available on New Year’s Eve. Be careful though: you might just become a cat parent in 2025 if you can’t resist the cat’s cuteness. adoptable creatures.

Play laser tag

Head to the Shops at Atlas Park in Queens and visit the Laser Bounce Family Fun Center. You can benefit from unique laser tag sessions for about $30or pay for a larger plan. They also have other games and fun for the whole family, and you’ll be safely out of reach of Manhattan’s partygoers.

Another sporty option: Zone53 has locations in Dumbo and Williamsburg, with the Dumbo location offering a New Year’s Laser Tag for about $40 per person. You can also choose other activities, like the Adventure Park ropes course or paintball in Williamsburg, which also costs $40 per person for a New Year’s Eve session.