As New Year’s draws closer, it’s time to begin planning how you’ll say goodbye to 2019 and hello to 2020. Choose from one of these New Year’s celebrations—from a fireworks show in the mountains to a champagne jazz cruise on the Hudson River to a whimsical party at a winery and a bike ride through the city—and don’t look back.
1. The Sporty Celebration | Hunter Mountain | Catskills, NY
If you can’t beat the cold, join it. After a day of living 2019 to the fullest on the slopes, head down to Hunter Mountain’s main bar for rewarding eats and live entertainment, followed by a tailgate-style shindig, a torchlight parade, and a big fireworks show. For a fine dining experience head to the mountain’s Van Winkles Restaurant for their prix fixe dinner.
Directions: There are multiple options for easy travel to and from Hunter Mountain by bus, check out the Hunter Mountain’s Bus Lines page for specific information on various other pick-up and drop-off points in New York City.
2. The Family Style Meal | Maison May Dekalb | Fort Greene, NY
Top off 2019 with an eco smorgasbord, where a $70 per person feast promises plates like mushroom tartine, herb gnocchi, and braised beef brisket. Sip champagne with your flourless chocolate cake and make a New Year’s resolution to keep eating delicious food from local farmers. Reservations are recommended, minimum 4 people per party.
Directions: R/Q/B/D train to DeKalb Avenue; C train to Clinton/Washington
3. The Elegant Experience | Brooklyn Winery | Williamsburg, NY
Don’t settle for Yellow Tail at a random party and discover Brooklyn’s first wine-making center instead. Put on your best ethereal cocktail attire and head to a night of twinkling elegance where for $150, you’ll explore a celestial themed venue, eat lavish anti pasto, and dance the night away.
Directions: Take the L Train to the Bedford Ave. stop (First stop in Brooklyn). Exit on either Bedford or Driggs and walk north to North 8th St. Walk east on North 8th St. and it is on the north side of the street at 213 North 8th St. The trip takes less than 10 minutes from Union Square.
4. The Romantic Seaside Getaway| Water’s Edge Resort & Spa | Westbrook, CT
Escape to Connecticut for a romantic New Year’s Eve getaway, which includes one night in a deluxe room, open bar, a four course meal, a champagne toast, and a dance party with a live band. They even offer spa discounts on New Year’s Day to help you recover along with a New Year’s Day brunch. New Year’s Eve packages start at $655/night.
Directions: Take Metro North New Haven Line to New Haven, then switch to the local Shore Line East train and get off at Old Saybrook station. Call Captain Tony’s Car Service (203.980-.7428) for the 10-minute ride to the resort.
5. The Low-Key Celebration | Gigi’s Trattoria | Hudson Valley, NY
Slip into the countryside just north of New York City for a sumptuous sustainable dinner. Offerings include Hudson Valley foie gras, house smoked scallops, sablefish, and slow roasted suckling pig with porcini mushrooms. Confetti will be thrown at midnight. $100 with wine pairings.
Directions: Rhinebeck is easily accessible from New York City by trains out of New York Penn Station or Grand Central Station. From Penn Station, Amtrak will take you to Rhinecliff, a small town outside of Rhinebeck. Metro-North will take you to Poughkeepsie, and Rhinebeck is less than a 20-minute cab ride from there.
6. The Last Wild Ride of 2019 Celebration | Time’s Up | NYC
If one of your resolutions is to get fit in 2020, this is a good place to start, with a festive bike ride through NYC ending with a dance party. Bring the bells, booze (for after the ride), and whistles, forget the dressy get-up and say “cheers!” with the grassroots environmental organization, Time’s Up.
7. New Year’s Eve Fireworks Cruise | Classic Harbor Line | NYC
Ring in the New Year with a party aboard the 1920s style Manhattan boat. After a one-hour on board champagne class, enjoy breathtaking views of the city (including Battery Park, South Street Seaport, Governors Island, the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Brooklyn, Queens, Roosevelt Island) while sipping on drinks and eating hors d’oeuvres, while a live jazz trio serenades the 3.5 hour trip, with a break for the boom boom of fireworks, of course. $378
Photo: Ed.ward.: new years eve
The co-founder and editor-at-large at offMetro, Lauren is a sustainable travel specialist and freelance journalist with frequent bylines in National Geographic, Bicycling Magazine and Shape. Follow Lauren’s adventures at @laurenmati.
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram