7 Places to celebrate NYE in the US!

7 Places to celebrate NYE in the US!

I originally wrote this list in 2016 when I was celebrating almost 10 years since I first moved to this country that isn’t my own but that welcomed me as if I had always been part of it. in 2020 I’ve spent 13 New Year’s Eves in the US and collected so many memories and emotions along the way it was only fair of me to share a little bit of it with you guys!  I get many questions asking for recommendations on where to spend New Year’s Eve in America, and since I recently achieved my goal of visiting all 50 states, I decided to come up with a list of my favorite cities to see the New Year in with plenty of fun and joy!

I hope you like it!

Oh, before I forget…To see more of my day to day life in NYC, check out my Instagram (@marthasachser), and follow my Youtube channel. For more NYC tips join my NYC tips Facebook group HERE! And if you are traveling to NYC, don’t forget to get my New York City Guide HERE! 

 

LAS VEGAS

There’s no way Vegas wouldn’t be at the top of the list. If you’re the kind of person who loves thrilling and energetic parties, this is the place for you! Honestly, I myself don’t like clubs, alcohol, or casinos, and still couldn’t leave New Year’s Eve in Vegas out of this list! I had a lot of fun the whole time and I’m sure you’ll find entertainment for all tastes and ages there.

The weather surprised me. Although the city is one of the hottest in the world in the summer, temperatures get pretty low during the winter! We were lucky to get a few days in the 60º to 65º F range, but it was below the 50º F mark most of the time. So make sure to bring a good jacket with you! A few hotels offer heated pools, I wish all of them had indoor pools, they would make Vegas a lot more fun all year long!

 

 

NEW ORLEANS

The city of jazz lives in an everlasting Carnival. It’s an exciting place full of things to do if you enjoy live music, happy hours, good restaurants and art. I haven’t celebrated New Year’s Eve there yet, but I can very well picture what the countdown must be like judging by the festive mood I felt during Thanksgiving. You’ll meet all kinds of people and have plenty of fun in a high-spirited atmosphere. If you’re traveling with kids, however, consider visiting the city at a quieter time. 

 

HONOLULU

How could I not include one of my favorite cities in America on this list? Spending New Year’s Eve in Hawaii was a dream come true and I made each second count! The mood might not be as festive as it is in Vegas and the fireworks might not be anything out of the ordinary, but being in such a pleasant city in the last timezone of the world made me very, very happy! Accommodations were also fairly affordable considering the holiday season, so it is possible to get good deals if you book your room in advance. Some waterfront hotels in Waikiki offer fun parties by the beach with a luau and fireworks at the end of the night. I haven’t been to one but I always see them from outside and they seem to be a lot of fun for the entire family! For a better view of the fireworks and music coming from the parties, try to stay close to Sheraton and Hilton hotels, otherwise you won’t see much.

 

DISNEY

Yes, I spent  New Year’s Eve with Mickey and it was a truly magical experience! The funny part is that I actually thought I was the only one who had the brilliant idea of spending New Year’s Eve in one of the parks. Seriously. Completely clueless, right? All lines had at least a 200-minute wait time. It was my first time at Orlando’s Disney World, so I visited 3 of the 4 parks on the days before the 31st and saved Epcot for New Year’s Eve. I did that because after my first days in (crowded) Orlando I figured Magic Kingdom would be packed (it was like all Brazilians decided to visit it at the same time) and I didn’t want to waste time in lines. Since Epcot focuses more on the around-the-world experience and not so many exciting adult rides (Soaring and Test Track were actually pretty great, don’t miss them!), I decided to spend NYE there! And yes, it was amazing! The organization was so smooth and well done that we were back in our hotel just an hour after the celebration. It was really easy to get to the parking lot, no tumultuous crowds, or anything like that. I kind of wish there was a bigger celebration, but it was fun for sure! 

 

MIAMI AND FORT MYERS

Florida is definitely the best place to go for New Year’s Eve if you want to get away from the cold and have fun at a real fun party! Miami Beach bars and restaurants will surely please those who are looking for a fiesta atmosphere with great drinks, cool people, and hopefully good weather for a night on the beach. But Fort Myers is also dear to many locals and an awesome destination to celebrate New Year’s Eve with the family! Besides that, there are many fun and beautiful places in Florida to celebrate such as Naples, Clearwater and Key West.

 

 

SAN ANTONIO

In 2015, I chose Texas as my New Year’s Eve destination. I didn’t quite know what to expect, but my mom was with me, so the holiday was deemed to be special regardless of how we spent it. We were planning to stop by several cities, so we decided to start off in San Antonio because of its warmer and more familiar atmosphere, similar to Brazil’s. Not to mention that Spanish is almost the official language there, so we felt even more at home (even though we speak Portuguese and not Spanish).

The main street hosted a big party and there were people everywhere! Seriously, it was hard to even choose a spot where to stand, once everyone was having fun all around, inside and outside of restaurants, landmarks, and tourist attractions. I didn’t see any clubs, but I’m confident they exist. We preferred to join in the street countdown and make the most of the local vibes! Really, it was almost like a Brazilian fair, with Latin music playing in the background, delicacies from all over, fireworks, and a humble atmosphere that made my New Year’s Eve  much more special, I felt like we were surrounded by family somehow! If you are traveling with children, it was definitely a very interesting choice and there is so much history in San Antonio, make sure you visit one day!

 

I hope you enjoyed this post! To learn more about my day to day life in NYC, check out my Instagram (@marthasachser), and follow my Youtube channel, which you can find HERE!