Family Friendly New Year’s Eve Celebrations
Looking for the best family-friendly New Year’s Eve events in Lake Country and Waukesha County? You’re in the right place! From early “Noon Year’s Eve” countdowns to evening celebrations, fireworks, bowling parties, ice skating, and local community events, families can find plenty of ways to ring in 2026 together. Whether you’re planning a night out in Oconomowoc, Hartland, Pewaukee, Delafield, Waukesha, or Brookfield or searching for kid-friendly New Year’s Eve ideas close to home, this guide gathers the area’s top NYE events for kids and families all in one place.
We update this list as new celebrations are announced throughout December, so check back often. Use this guide to plan your New Year’s Eve fun, make special memories with your kids, and start 2026 with joy.
And don’t miss our bonus section with New Year’s Day activities to keep the celebration going!
Family-friendly New Year’s Eve events in Lake Country and Waukesha County include early countdowns, community celebrations, indoor and outdoor activities, and special kid-focused parties. Families can ring in 2026 together with fun, local events designed for all ages.
Please thank our New Year’s Eve Guide sponsor:
Ring in 2025 with comedian John Heffron! Energetic and accessible, acclaimed standup John Heffron shares an array of relatable experiences from childhood through life as a married father. He’s learned a thing or two about relationships with family, friends, and even himself along his journeys, gaining an astute, uniquely honest perspective widely praised among his comedy peers. Audiences of all ages relate to his enthusiastic, hard-won wisdom, recognizing how often the path to maturity is marked by universal triumphs and failures. Rather than mock differences, the Detroit native aims to engage, connect, and enlighten.
10 Family Friendly NYE Festivities and Fun Ideas
- Ring in the New Year with your family at the Ingleside Hotel and Springs Water Park to welcome 2026.
Spend New Year’s Eve with a stay at The Ingleside Hotel and enjoy a special New Year’s Eve Party with evening a fun filled activities!
New Year’s Eve Party Includes:
6:00pm – 11:00pm: DJ in the Water Park
6:00pm: Ducky Races – Sign up at the towel desk | Race starts at 6:30 PM
7:00pm: Minute to Win It Games (Upper Party Room)
8:00pm: Hungry Hippos (Upper Party Room)
9:00pm: Squirt Gun Fight | Pick up Squirt Guns in Upper Party Room
10:00pm: Beach Ball Drop
* Day Passes on December 31st are good until 10am – 6pm. New Year’s Eve Party from 6pm – 11pm is for overnight water park guests only.
All You Can Eat Buffet on New Year’s Eve
On December 31st, there will be an all you can eat buffet from 6:00pm – 8:00pm in the water park. Buffet will include all you can eat pizza, mac & cheese, chicken tenders, mini-corndogs, garden salad, and fruit salad. Each guest will also receive one can of soda with their meal. The New Year’s Eve Buffet can be purchased inside the snack bar.$17.00 for adults & children 13+
$13.00 for children 2 – 12
Free for children under 2
Book HERE on the Ingleside Website.
Noon Year’s Eve with the City of Oconomowoc and Silver Circle Sports Events. The event is free for kids, but kids must register if they are participating in the run.
Bring the family (and the fun) to the Noon Year’s Event Run, now at the new location: Meadow View Elementary School in Oconomowoc! The organizers have expanded this daytime New Year’s Eve celebration to include a 5K 🏃♂️, 1.5 mile walk, alongside the beloved free kids’ run.
Whether you’re racing or walking, enjoy all the excitement in the comfort of a large, heated building, perfect for staying warm before and after the event. It’s the perfect way to ring in the noon year with community, laughter, and a cozy place to celebrate!
This event is brought to you through a partnership with the City of Oconomowoc Parks and Recreation Department, Silver Circle Sports Events, LLC, and the Silver Circle Foundation, 501(c)(3).
Activities include:
Play games and win make-and-take kits—get crafty at home later!
Races for ages 1 and up! Shuffle through the snow, snag a finisher woodle, and smile for finish photos (posted after the event). The Kiddos 1K event & activities are free, but registration is required.
Tunes to rock out to while you enjoy the festivities.
Selfie station with fun props—smile and capture the memory!
Be ready at noon for the official ball drop, confetti cannons, noisemakers, and a whole lot of fun.At 12 p.m. sharp, join the countdown as the Noon-Year’s Ball drops from the Western Lakes Fire Department’s ladder truck—a celebration like no other! 🚒✨
- See holiday lights. You can pop in the car and drive through a light display, like Country Christmas or Winter Wonders. Both will be lit up for New Year’s Eve! Put your jammies on, bring some hot chocolate and yummy snacks, make a countdown as your car approaches the entrance. So many ways to make seeing holiday lights especially special for the holiday. We did this last year at Country Christmas!
- Spend the day outside walking around the Milwaukee County Zoo and see the Wild Lights to ring in the New Year.
- Watch a new to you family movie at home or a classic favorite or have a movie-watching marathon. Then knock it out of the park with fun food, decorations, a countdown, and hot chocolate bombs of course!
- Treat your family to a yummy dinner at home. The Delafield Brewhaus is open from 11 am -10 pm on New Year’s Eve and will be serving up your favorites to take home!
- Go ice skating! Your family can Skate at Red Arrow Park’s Slice of Ice – (pending weather) The rink will be open to the public from 10 am on December 31 until 1 am New Year’s Day 2026.
- See the Harlem Globe Trotters in Milwaukee at the Fiserv Forum. FYI: They will be in Milwaukee on December 26 in 2025 – not on New Year’s Eve :/
- 12:00 pm and 5:00 pm
NEVER BEFORE – This time, it’s everyone’s game as the Globetrotters pull every fan into the action. Be sure to bring your top game as some lucky fans will even be invited onto the court!
NON-STOP BASKETBALL ACTION – From trick shots to long shots to how-did-they-do-that shots, get ready for the Harlem Globetrotters to put up… basketball shots! Jaw-dropping ball handling, fastest-dribbling, crazy crossovers and amazing basketball skills promise non-stop action and four quarters of unimaginable fun!
SERIOUS SLAM DUNKS – The Globetrotters are getting their hops ready with high-flying… sometimes backboard breaking dunks. Plus, the Harlem Globetrotters vs. Washington General Dunk Contest is happening, and someone is going to get posterized!
- Bring your littles to the Betty Brinn Children’s Museum in Milwaukee for a Noon Year’s Eve Party packed with fun and festivities!
- Celebrate the new year with at noon!
- Members get exclusive, early access from 9-11 a.m. Special event tickets are required. This event will sell out. Advance online reservations are highly recommended. Walk-up tickets will not be guaranteed.
Bonus New Year’s Eve Ideas:
Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria is a great place to ring in the New Year! Eat in or carry-out. Check their Facebook page for holiday specials and updates!
Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria, 15795 W. Bluemound Rd,. Brookfield
Celebrate in downtown Appleton! 3…2…1…Happy New Year at the Building for Kids from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm on December 31.
Come celebrate 2026’s arrival with ball drops, confetti tosses, parades around the museum, and New Year-themed activities in our Studio and Innovation Lab.
They will ring in the New Year at 10am, 12pm, and 2pm. No pre-registration is required. Regular admission applies.
Party at the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells!
- Activities include an extravagant dinner buffet and dessert bar followed by music, dancing, and an exciting countdown to the New Year!
- New Year’s Dinner at the Butler Inn in Pewaukee: Live entertainment, food and drinks! Starts at 4:00pm. Make a reservation online or call: 262-691-0840.
- Links & Drinks Indoor Golf Bar in Oconomowoc: Holiday Hours are 10am-1am on New Years Eve and 10am-10pm om New Year’s day.
- Bass Bay Brewhouse New Year’s Day Brunch: Seats are filling fast–call for reservations.
- Looking to get out in the fresh air? Spend the day (or night!) at Sunburst Ski Hill in Kewauskum! Snowboard, ski, or tube during the day and slide right into the night! Stick around for the epic fireworks starting at 9pm. Check their website for ticket prices and hours.
Noon Year’s Eve at Betty Brinn
Celebrate 2026 early! The Betty Brinn Children’s Museum is excited to announce the return of N…
December 31 @ 9:00 am – 2:00 pmNew Year’s Craft at the Brookfield Library
New Year’s Craft at the Brookfield Library Ages 3-12: Make a fun craft to ring in the New Year…
December 31 @ 9:00 am – 3:00 pmKid Boogie Down Noon Year’s Eve Party
It’s Kid Boogie Down Noon Year’s Eve Dance Party! Let’s say goodbye to 2025 in sty…
December 31 @ 11:00 am – 2:00 pm
The COMPLETE Guide to Lake Country
Sponsored by 3 realtor offices that are deeply rooted in Lake Country and Waukesha County: Team Trimble, Bark River Realty, and Dave Geszvian with Keller Williams.
New Year’s Day Festivities
All the fun doesn’t have to end when the ball(oons) drops – check out these fun events on New Years Day!
- First Hike through the State Parks and Waukesha County Parks. Here are some tips to stay warm when hiking in winter.
- Cool Fool Kite Festival.
- Do the Polar Plunge at Foolery’s in Okauchee
- Jump at NOON!
- Proceeds this year will go to Tunnel To Towers.“Since 9/11, we have been helping America’s heroes by providing mortgage-free homes to Gold Star and fallen first responder families with young children and by building specially-adapted smart homes for catastrophically injured veterans and first responders.
- $30 includes: Hoodie, donation towards T2T and jump.$50 includes: Hoodie, donation, jump and brunch.
- $30 just a hoodie
$20 Brunch buffet
$10 Kids Bunch 10&under - Regular menu opens at 11am!
- 50/50 Cash Raffle
- Amazing Coolers filled of booze and swag!
Looking for more fun over the winter break? Check out Lake Country Family Fun’s 30 Things to do over Christmas Break Guide! And if you are looking for more January fun, check out our 16 Things to Do in January Guide!
We hope you enjoyed our New Years Family Fun Guide!
How will you be spending your time time as the 2025 New Year rings?
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Thank you for all this great information! I really appreciate all your hard work to get this out for all of us!