Seasonal & Holidays
12 Ways to Celebrate New Year's Eve in the 'Burbs
From family-friendly to unique, here are some fun events and ideas for ringing in 2015 in the Chicago suburbs.
The Chicago suburbs has plenty of excellent options for entertainment, outdoor activities and family-friendly events that will make your New Year’s Eve a memorable one. Here are some options for doing just that:
Legoland Discovery Center New Year’s Balloon Drop
Legoland Discovery Center, at 601 North Martingale Road in Schaumburg, will hold family-friendly events and a balloon drop on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
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The events will be held from 12 to 7 p.m. on Dec. 31 and 12 to 6 p.m. on Jan. 1. The popular balloon drop will be held at 12, 3 and 6 p.m. each day. Visitors can enjoy the center’s nine attractions, which include the jungle expedition, kingdom quest laser ride and Lego 4D cinema.
Visit the Legoland Discovery Center website for more information.
Metropolis’ New Year’s Eve Second City Show
The Metropolis, 111 W. Campbell St. in Arlington Heights, will host a 10 p.m. New Year’s Eve presentation of its Holidays in the Heights show.
“Don’t miss this hilarious send up of all the holiday activities we actually love, and the ones we love to hate featuring a phenomenal cast from Second City and their trademark comedy and improv,” according to the Metropolis website.
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Tickets are $50 — $60 per person for a stage table.
You can book your tickets online or call box office phone number at 847-577-2121. Visit the Metropolis website for more information.
Movies and Otis Day at New Years Rock’n Eve
Otis Day will be the special host for a New Year’s Eve extravaganza at the Hollywood Palms Cinema, 352 South Route 59 in Naperville.
The festivities kick off at 9 p.m. when guests can choose from one of six comedies to view, including: Christmas Vacation, Caddyshack, a Christmas Story, Scrooged, The Blue Brothers, and Animal House. A “party with Otis Day” will follow at 10:30 p.m. and will include dancing, appetizer buffet, red carpet arrival, party favors and a champagne toast. A big screen ball drop will be held at midnight.
The cost is $35 for a movie and admission to the New Year’s Eve party. A photo with Otis, which is available between 9 and 10:30 p.m., is $15. For those just looking to see a movie, the cost is $8.
More information is available on the Hollywood Palms Cinema website.
Super-Powered New Year’s Eve at DuPage Children’s Museum
The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the DuPage Children’s Museum, 301 North Washington. Kids can dance the morning away to a musical performance by Mr. Dave and the Superhero Sidekicks.
There will be several activities for kids, including creating glowing Kryptonite and Super Stretch hero putty, creating a light with your own symbol to flash in the night, designing your own cape to symbolize your super power and more.
The cost is $20 for members and $25 for non-members. Visit the DuPage Children’s Museum for more information.
Three NYE Performances at McAninch Arts Center
New Philharmonic (NP) will expand its New Year’s Eve performances this year at the McAninch Arts Center, 425 Fawell Blvd. in Glen Ellyn, to include three performances at 1, 5 and 9 p.m.
The program will feature works by Josef Strauss, J. Strauss Jr., Franz von Suppé and others, plus a celebratory champagne toast and special surprises. Continuing their tradition of featuring soloists from the Lyric Opera Ryan Center for Young Artists, tenor John Irvin will join New Philharmonic and Maestro Kirk Muspratt to ring out the old and ring in the new.
98.7 FM-WFMT will provide a live broadcast of the 5 p.m. performance.
Visit Glen Ellyn Patch for more information.
Zoo Year’s Eve at Brookfield Zoo
This family friendly event at the Brookfield Zoo, 3300 Golf Road in Brookfield, is a great option for ringing in the New Year with your kids.
In the Holly Jolly Theater, there will be live DJ music, games, party favors, prizes and an early countdown at 8:00 p.m.
At the Hamill Family Play Zoo, you can make your own noisemaker and enjoy an early kid-friendly countdown at 8 p.m. This area is perfect for families with children ages 6 and under.
This event is free with paid zoo admission. General admission is $16.95 for adults and $11.95 for children ages 3 to 11 years old and for seniors over 65 years old. Get more information on the zoo’s website.
Wilmot Mountain Hosts NYE Ski
The chair lifts will be running until 1 a.m. at Wilmot Mountain on New Year’s Eve with a fireworks display starting at 9 p.m.
Live music will start at 9 p.m with Michael Tafoya’s Lost Boyz performing and there will be food and drink specials. The Ski School and Ski Patrol will be putting on a Torch Light Parade and there will be a Light Parade for kids, which they can participate in, outside the Main Lodge. Both parades will take place when the fireworks start at 9 p.m.
For more information, visit the Wilmot Mountain website.
Free Skating in the Park in Rosemont
Rosemont will offer extended ice skating hours on New Year’s Eve from 11 a.m. on Dec. 31 to 1 a.m. on Jan. 1 at MB Financial Park, 5501 Park Place in Rosemont.
Skating is free while skates can be rented for $8. There will be fireworks at midnight. Restaurants and bars at the financial park will offer music, dining and entertainment options, balloon drops and champagne toasts.
ABC 7 will host its New Year’s Eve LIVE broadcast at MB Financial Park. “Countdown Chicago 2015” will begin at 11:08 p.m. and ABC 7’s Ryan Chiaverini and Val Warner will be on site at MB Financial Park at Rosemont to ring in 2015.
More NYE options include:
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