Finding the right New Year’s Eve festivity can be a Goldilocks conundrum: They’re often too loud or too quiet, too expensive or not fancy enough, a rager or a bummer. So, to help you ring in 2026 the right way, we compiled this list of Front Range happenings—from a Parisian-themed party to a bash that will wrap up well before the ball drop (and bedtime).

If you do choose to indulge in a few libations, leave the driving to the experts: RTD will offer free rides from 7 p.m. on New Year’s Eve to 7 a.m. on New Year’s Day.

New Year’s Eve at Denver Union Station

  • Best for: Those who want to turn their NYE into a staycation
  • Time: 9 p.m.–12:30 a.m.
  • Cost: Free

Whether you want to extend your night off from corralling toddlers or you just don’t want to deal with the hassle of securing an Uber home, treating yourself to a New Year’s Eve staycation needs no explanation. If you’re hoping to find room and board near your midnight merrymaking, Union Station is the spot. The LoDo landmark will host a free fete in the Great Hall with a live DJ and a “sparkling station” to fill your glass with brut before the ball drops. Conveniently, the Crawford Hotel is steps away from the soiree, so you can easily amble back to your digs—no outrageous Uber fare involved. Online registration for the event is closed but organizers will allow attendees into the venue as capacity allows. (The Cooper Lounge Masquerade Ball is sold out.)

Noon Year’s Eve

Noon Years Eve Children's Museum Denver
Photo courtesy of the Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus
  • Best for: Parents whose bedtime is 10 p.m.
  • Time: 9 a.m.–4 p.m.
  • Cost: $18–$20, free for children under one and museum members

Each year, the Children’s Museum of Denver hosts this family-focused fete—much to the relief of bleary-eyed Mile High City parents. Starting at 10 a.m., a kid-friendly emcee will host hourly ball drops in the museum’s outdoor plaza. Little ones can also jive to holiday-themed music, partake in NYE-themed arts and crafts, and partake in the outdoor “Snow Days” programming, which includes a sock-skating rink, a tubing hill, an imaginary ice-fishing station, and more. Your tired tykes will doze off well before midnight so you can pop a bottle of Veuve or savor those extra hours of z’s.

One Night in Paris: A New Year’s Eve Soiree

  • Best for: Jet-setters who couldn’t leave the country this winter
  • Time: 9 p.m.–12 a.m.
  • Cost: Starting at $63

We can’t all ring in the New Year under the Eiffel Tower, but this Mile High fete can still deliver some je ne sais quoi. The Moulin Rouge–themed function at LoHi’s Ballyhoo Table and Stage will include stunning pop-up performances from can-can dancers and pianist David Nehls; a grazing station; signature cocktails; DJ-spun tunes; and oui, plenty of bubbly.

Carnivale at Cimera

  • Best for: Instaworthy views of the city
  • Time: 8:30 p.m.–12:30 a.m.
  • Cost: $150–$300

You’ve taken the effort to get all dolled up for the New Year, don’t squander the photo-op. This Carnivale-inspired affair held at the Source Hotel’s buzzy new rooftop restaurant, Cimera, will provide you with the perfect backdrop: the Denver skyline. Pick how you want to party with three different price points: a standing-room experience with an open bar and passed apps ($150); dinner on the indoor pool deck ($225); or a four-course meal overlooking the fireworks with VIP treatment ($300).

Midnight at the Brown

Photo courtesy of the Brown Palace
  • Best for: Partying in storied surroundings
  • Time: 8 p.m.–1 a.m.
  • Cost: Starting at $102

The Brown Palace counts more than five presidents, the Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, and Taylor Swift as former guests, so it’s fair to say they know how to cater to VIPs. As you step into the historic hotel, you’ll be greeted with a flute of champagne. Stick around for dancing in the institution’s atrium, live disco tunes from Ronnie Raygun’s Boogie Machine, small bites, and, of course, a midnight toast.

New Years Eve Bar Crawl

  • Best for: Those who don’t like to party in one place
  • Time: Self-paced starting at 8 p.m.
  • Cost: Starting at $9

What’s that saying? Don’t put all your eggs in one basket…er, don’t take all your tequila shots at one bar? If spending an entire night at one venue induces opportunity-cost anxiety in your crew, opt for this roving party that includes access to Ballpark and Larimer Square joints such as Mile High Spirits, Disco Pig, Nola Jane, and Emerald Eye. During the six-hour bar crawl, you’ll enjoy copious drink specials (think: $5 beers and shots), boogie to live DJs and bands, and ring in the new year with no inhibitions.

White Rose Gala

  • Best for: Those who want to tear it up ’20s style
  • Time: 8 p.m.–1 a.m.
  • Cost: $157

An affair fit for the pages of The Great Gatsby, this annual Denver tradition draws more than 1,200 carousers each year. Fish out that flapper dress from your closet and enter the Art Deco epoch at the Ritz-Carlton, Denver. Do the Charleston while a live band plays, snap a selfie—have those been invented yet?—at various photo stations, and watch dazzling live performances. Or, just gamble the night away at the casino tables.

A Night in Vienna

  • Best for: Highfalutin’ live music fanatics
  • Time: 6:30 p.m.
  • Cost: Starting at $64

If your musical proclivities lean more toward polka than party anthems, spend the last day of the year at this swanky event. Each year, the Colorado Symphony—led by conductor Christopher Dragon—serenades music lovers with a repertoire of marches, waltzes, and—yes—polkas. Before the big day, you can get in the polka mindset with this Spotify playlist of tunes.

More New Year’s Eve Events Around Denver