The Definitive Guide to New Year's Eve in the Vail Valley

New Year's festivities over Golden Peak.
Image: Vail Resorts
Where to Watch Fireworks
Beaver Creek's New Year's Eve Bash
If ringing in the New Year slopeside is a must, plan your evening around the Beav's annual NYE party, which kicks off the final evening of the decade with a glow-stick ski-down and a torchlight parade (6 p.m.) along with a fireworks show as dusk settles in (6:45 p.m.). If you're looking to keep the party going, the resort's ticketed New Year's Eve Bash at the Park Hyatt’s Ford Hall has something for the whole family, with a DJ spinning beats from 7 to 10:30 p.m., and plenty of food, arts, crafts and games for the little ones, and, of course, plenty of Champagne for toasting.
Vail Mountain
Ski instructors and Vail locals join forces for a torchlight parade down Golden Peak (6:15 p.m.) followed by an annual fireworks show to close out the year on a pyrotechnic note. vail.com
Restaurants
Multi-course menus, dinner and dancing, and more!
The Sonnenalp
Vail Village
The Sonnenalp's throwing sumptuous soiree that includes live cooking stations, fresh seafood, carving stations, and a smorgasbord of desserts with two different seating options: the first starts at 5:30 p.m. ($135 per adult, $45 per child), or you can go big for 2020 and plan on dinner and dancing and live music at the hotel's second seating (8:30 p.m., $260 per adult, $85 per child). sonnenalp.com
The Left Bank
Vail Village
The Left Bank's Grand Seating (9 p.m., $265 per person) boasts seven courses for patrons to kick off 2019 on a decadent (and full) note, plus live music . If you're looking to start the New Year on an earlier (and lighter) note, opt for The Left Bank's first seating, which features four courses (and Champagne!) at 6 p.m. ($139 per person). theleftbankvail.com, 970-476-3696
La Tour
Vail Village
La Tour is heading into 2020 with a roaring 20's themed soiree and three seatings; an early seating with kids' pricing available (5 to 6 p.m., $85 per adult, $45 per child), a main seating (6:15 to 8 p.m., $175 per person), and a grand seating that will officially ring in the new decade (10 to 10:45 p.m, $195 per person). latour-vail.com
WYLD at the Ritz Carlton, Bachelor Gulch
Beaver Creek
The Ritz Carlton, Bachelor Gulch's onsite, gourmet eatery is pulling out all the stops for New Year's Eve, including five-courses and a kid-friendly a-la-carte menu to celebrate the beginning (and end) of the decade in style ($205 per person). ritzcarlton.com
Vintage Vail
Vail Village
Vintage has two seatings for its NYE festivities: you can book a four-course early seating at the brasserie (5:30 to 7 p.m., $125 per adult, $75 per child), or book a seat at the late seating, which features five-courses, plus amuse-bouche, intermezzo & champagne toast (8:30 to 10 p.m., $175 per person). vintagevail.com
The Fitz at Manor Vail
Vail, Golden Peak
If you've got little ones in tow, consider The Fitz's first seating (5 p.m., $220 per person, $100 per child), which features four courses (plus a Champagne toast for Mom and Dad) alongside prime views of the torchlight parade and fireworks show at Golden Peak. If you're hitting the town sans kiddos, reserve a spot at The Fitz's second seating (8 p.m., $250 per person, $150 per child), which pairs four courses with a slopeside afterparty, complete with a DJ and dance floor, and complimentary Champagne to toast with as you watch the midnight fireworks show over Vail Mountain. Although, if you decide to opt for the first seating (or you can't make dinner), you can still join the afterparty later on in the evening free of charge. manorvail.com, 970-476-5000
Premier Parties
From slopeside galas to hotel parties, some of the valley's hottest tickets for ringing in 2020.
Larkspur
Vail Village
Looking for the Champagne toast of the Vail Valley? Larkspur's New Year's Eve bash might just be it. If you've got little ones in tow, plan for the Golden Peak-based culinary staple's early seating (5 p.m.; $165 to $295 per person), which features a kid-friendly dinner buffet, plus front-row seats for Golden Peak's torchlight parade down the mountain and fireworks (6:30 p.m.). If you're a big kid (or you're lucky enough to have scored a baby sitter for the evening), reserve a table at the post-ski-down late seating (8 p.m., $265 to $465 per person, adults only) with dinner and live musical accompaniment by Club Rock. The party continues with a midnight Champagne toast. Although, it's worth noting: if you'd rather skip the sit-down meal and head straight to the patio for midnight fireworks (and take a spin on the dance floor), you can purchase tickets separately for $125 per person. larkspurvail.com, 970-754-8050
The Sebastian
Vail Village
The Sebastian's last soirée of 2019 is lining up to be a luxe one that that. Guests lucky enough to score tickets to The Sebastian’s end of year bash (8:30 p.m. to 2 a.m.; $350 per adult, $195 per child) get unlimited access to a decadent spread of food, specialty cocktails, a photo booth, and plenty of kids' activities DJ Maestro Hughes will be in-house providing the night's entertainment, with a midnight Champagne toast promising to be the main event. Just keep in mind that you can also cut some cost by RSVPing for the late admission, which starts at 10 p.m. ($195 per person). thesebastianvail.com, 970-331-0057
The Mountain Art Collective
Vail
The newcomer to Vail's NYE party scene? Vail's new communal art space, the Mountain Art Collective, is rolling out the red carpet to ring in 2020, with a futuristic theme (dress accordingly) and a Champagne toast planned for the event. Proceeds benefit the MAC's educational programming (8 p.m., $35 per person). facebook.com
The Westin Riverfront Resort
Avon
The Westin's signature restaurant, Maya, will be dishing out a six-course meal for New Year's Eve guests (5 to 10 p.m., $110 per adult, $25 for kids 5-12, free for kids 5 & under), with an afterparty at the resort's lobby bar, The Lookout. The band Turntable Revue will be providing the night's entertainment (9 p.m.), with Champagne on hand to celebrate when the clock strikes midnight. westinriverfront.com, 970-790-6000
The Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch
Beaver Creek
The Ritz's "Pop, Fizz, Clink" New Year's Eve party is celebrating 2019 with live music, and a decadent spread of hors d'oeuvres and sweets—plus, the added bonus of ringing in the new year in style at the Ritz's private slopeside locale (9 p.m. to 1 a.m., $150 per person). ritzcarlton.com, 970-343-1023
Bars & Clubs
Late night dancing, Champagne toasts, and everything in between.
Bol
Solaris, Vail Village
Vail Village's upscale bowling alley is at it again, with a blow-out bash to get 2020 rolling (21+; 10 p.m.), featuring two live DJs (local mixmaster DJ Stennor and DJ Shake One). Tickets start at $85 per person, although VIP packages are available, with the top-tier experience maxing out at $5,000 for a private group lounge. bolvail.com, 970-476-5300
Pepi's
Vail Village
If you're looking for a classic start to 2018, reserve a table at Bridge Street's most timeless venue for an evening of live music by Rob Eaton Jr, Eric Luba from Analog Son, Taylor Frederick from Eminence Ensemble, Neil Evans from Dopapod, Kramer Kelling (6 p.m. to 12 a.m., $65 per person if you buy beforehand). pepis.com, 970-476-4761
The Red Lion
Vail Village
Bridge Street's Red Lion will be marking the end of 2019 with an extensive buffet spread, party favors, and live music all night long—just be sure to RSVP early, as tickets typically go fast ($100 per person). theredlion.com, 970-476-7676
Shakedown Bar
Vail Village
Bridge Street’s go-to joint for late-night live music is ushering in the 2020's with a Rolling Stones tribute (9 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.), courtesy of an all-star septet. A $125 ticket gets you access to the show with a complimentary Champagne toast at midnight, although VIP group options are available for anyone that wants to up the ante for the new year. shakedownbarvail.com, 970-479-0556
Vail Ale House
West Vail
What's on deck for 2020 at the Vail Ale House? A 3-hour DJ set on West Vail's main stage until well after the clock strikes midnight ($30, 10 p.m.). vailalehouse.com, 970-476-4314
Bridge Street Bar
Vail Village
If you’re looking for a place to dance the night away, head to Vail Village’s underground nightclub, where $120 gets you all-inclusive access to the DJ (and dance floor), plus live music by Brian Kittrell and Bar BQ Mike and a Champagne toast at midnight. bridgestreetbar.com, 970-476-0360
If thrift is one of your New Year's resolutions ...
In Vail, $10 (yes, $10!) gets you into Altitude at the Evergreen Lodge's NYE bash, which includes party favors, a Champagne toast, and sets by DJ Dinnermint until after midnight (9 p.m., evergreenvail.com). Although if you're trying to ring in 2020 for free, head to Bonfire Brewery in Eagle for a tropical-themed NYE luau that includes prizes for best dressed man and woman and happy hour prices for the first 50 people in the door all night long (8 p.m., bonfirebrewing.com).