Families can celebrate the new year without staying up all night at these local venues – with everything from balloon drops to dance parties to crafts. All events are scheduled for Dec. 31 unless otherwise noted.
East Bay
Chabot Space & Science Center New Year Celebration – Ring in the new year without staying up all night at Chabot Space & Science Center’s 25th anniversary balloon drop. Celebrate strokes of midnight around the world at 11am, 12pm, 3pm and 4pm. Kids will count down and celebrate with hundreds of colorful balloons dropping from above. After the drops, each child gets to take home a prize. Tickets are $10 for kids. This does not include admission to the center.
Chabot Space & Science Center, 10000 Skyline Blvd., Oakland
2025 Grand Finale – Celebrate the new year with colorful confetti blasted from a cannon every 45 minutes, then stay for exciting hands-on science fun for the whole family. Confetti launches start at 10:45am. Reserve timed tickets in advance. FREE with admission of $25, 2 and under FREE.
Lawrence Hall of Science, 1 Centennial Drive, Berkeley
San Francisco
Japanese New Year’s Bell-Ringing Ceremony – DEC. 28. Celebrate the New Year by taking a swing at a 2,100-pound, 16th-century Japanese temple bell at this annual event. Led by Rev. Gengo Akiba, it includes a purification ritual and chanting of the Buddhist Heart Sutra. Visitors will have an opportunity to ring the bell to leave behind any unfortunate experiences, regrettable deeds or ill luck from the year. The bell will be struck 108 times to usher in the new year and curb the 108 mortal desires (“bonno”) that, according to Buddhist belief, torment humankind.Public bell ringing is at 1pm. Numbered tickets to ring the bell are distributed beginning at 12pm at the entrance to Samsung Hall on a first-come, first-served basis. Bell ringing for members is at 10:30am. Museum admission is $20 adults, $17 seniors, $14 ages 13-17 or college students with ID, 12 and under FREE.
Asian Art Museum, 200 Larkin St., San Francisco
Peninsula
Noon Year’s Eve at Hiller Aviation Museum – Kick off the new year at this family-friendly event featuring music, activities, face painting and three giant balloon drops at 12pm. Some of the entertainment includes Lori & RJ Music, Broadway Babies & Kids, Sing With Bella, The Puppet Company and Peninsula Lively Arts. 10am-1pm. Ticket prices TBA.
Hiller Aviation Museum, 601 Skyway Road, San Carlos
Marin and North Bay
Bay Area Discovery Museum’s Noon Year’s Eve – Start the new year off rightat this kid-friendly affair including a celebratory ball drop at 12pm, a DJ and dancing, and more. Tickets must be purchased in advance. 9am-2pm. $23.
Bay Area Discovery Museum, 557 McReynolds Road, Sausalito
Happy New Year, Charlie Brown! – Celebrate at the Charles M. Schulz Museum with hands-on crafts for kids and a screening of “Happy New Year, Charlie Brown!” There will be an Up-Down Balloon Drop (all ages) and Baby Balloon Drop (4 and under and their families) at 12pm and a second balloon drop at 3pm. Admission is on a first-come, first-served basis. 10am-4pm. $15 adults, $10 seniors, $7 ages 4-18, 3 and under FREE.
Charles M. Schulz Museum, 2301 Hardies Lane, Santa Rosa
Silicon Valley and South
Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose – Ring in 2026 before bedtime with countdowns to midnight across time zones at 12pm, 1pm and 2pm. There will be performances by special guest Choo Choo Soul, and the museum’s version of the famous Times Square ball drop with lots of confetti. At the different drops, “shoutouts” will be given to different countries and what people in those countries might be doing at that time. Kids can create their own party hats, set goals for the new year at the Resolution Station, and sing and dance. Doors open at 9:30am.
Children’s Discovery Museum San Jose, 180 Woz Way, San Jose
Gilroy Gardens New Year’s Eve Celebration – Gilroy Gardens will ring in 2026 with a dance party featuring a DJ, specialty appetizers and cocktails, a photo booth, countdown to midnight and fireworks over Coyote Lake. 4pm-12am. $45, FREE with premium membership ($99).
Gilroy Gardens, 3050 Hecker Pass Highway, Gilroy
Teresa Mills-Faraudo is an associate editor at Bay Area Parent.
