The presents have been unwrapped, the roast beef has been carved, and Santa is taking a well-deserved nap back at the North Pole, so that can only mean one thing: party time! Another year has come and gone, and it is time to ring in the New Year in style. Whether you’re searching for a spirited soirée, live music, a masquerade, or something in between, Chattanooga has you covered. Read on for fun happenings all around town, put the bubbles on ice, and get ready to bid adieu to 2022!
If you want to party…
Nothing says “Happy New Year” like a good party. Champagne toasts, festive hats, dance floors, and an excuse to dress up all make for a fun-filled way to end the year, and lucky for us, Chattanooga has plenty of parties going on around town. The historic Read House Hotel is hosting a shindig that is bound to be a blast. Live music by Gwen Hughes and the Retro Kats will provide the soundtrack to this Roaring 20s themed party complete with heavy hors d’oeuvres, an open bar featuring a signature cocktail, and a midnight champagne toast. Guests are encouraged to don their flashiest and classiest attire for the occasion, and if you’re worried about staying awake for the countdown, the event will also feature a dessert and coffee bar and late-night snacks to keep your energy up all night long! Tickets are $180 a person and can be purchased on Eventbrite.
If you like your parties with a little more mystery, The Dwell Hotel is opening up its famed bar Matilda Midnight for a masquerade bash. Chattanooga’s own DJ Scuba Steve is playing all the hits during the event, where $65 gets you in for a night of drink specials, light snacks, party favors, and a champagne toast. Matilda Midnight is reopening for one night only, so this is certainly not an event to miss. Grab your best mask and get ready for hours of mystery, revelry, and style! Tickets can be purchased on The Dwell’s website.
Chattanooga’s most playful hotel, The Moxy, is hosting its annual Moxynooga Eve party, and if you’ve always got your dancing shoes on, then this is the party for you. DJ Mixx will make sure the music never stops, while food trucks will ensure you have plenty of sustenance to keep you going. And since it’s not New Year’s Eve without champagne, make sure you stick around for the champagne toast and special midnight treat! Tickets start at $75 for the base package and go up to $160 for those of you looking for the ultimate party time.
Can’t find your flapper costume or masquerade mask? Then perhaps Cherry Street Tavern is more your scene. Its New Year’s party gets a bit of a later start at 10 p.m., but be prepared to go all night! Chattanooga’s favorite synth-pop band Dolphin Group will certainly get the crowd moving, but the fun doesn’t stop there – local bands Terrestrial Troubadours and The Claw are also on tap. With food, draft beers, and a full, innovative cocktail menu, the tavern is a perfect place to dance away the final hours of 2022.
If your New Year’s Eve music philosophy is “the more the merrier,” then head downtown to the Big River Grille, which is featuring over six hours of live music to help you shimmy into 2023. Headliners Kolby Towe Band and The Flattop Boxers keep the party going while you dine on some of Big River’s excellent cuisines that range from Cajun classics to Southwest favorites. Wash it all down with one of the on-site brewery’s incredible craft beers!
If you want fun for all ages…
For a more family-friendly affair, the Creative Discovery Museum’s Cheers to the New Year party is sure to delight both kids and kids at heart. Children are invited to create New Year’s clocks, build noise makers, paint fireworks, and end the evening with an apple juice toast. Tickets start at $5 for members and go up to $10 for non-members. Or, check out Red Bank Bounce for its first-ever New Year’s Bouncin’ Eve. This event, aimed at children aged 11 and under, will allow your child to get decked out their own NYE hat and make some firework glasses before bouncing most of the night away in one of the indoor inflatables! Dinner from Marco’s Pizza will ensure your kiddos keep their energy up to stay for the early (but still fun!) year-end countdown at 8:50 p.m., complete with a sparkling juice toast.
If you want something unexpected…
You’ve spent enough time on the dance floor and have had enough champagne toasts to last a lifetime. This year, you’re looking for something different but still exciting, and the Scenic City delivered! For a relaxing and reflective start to the year, enjoy a guided Sahaja Yoga meditation. Taking place via Zoom, the guided practice will invite you to pause, reflect, and meditate on the year gone by and the year to come.
They say that laughter is the best medicine, so why not take in a show at The Comedy Catch? Mr. Showtime David Scott takes to the stage for a show that’s been called “sharp-witted, clever, classy, and pure energy.” Scott has been featured on HBO and Comedy Central and holds the Guinness World Record for longest individual stand-up show, so this is sure to be a night to remember (for those 18 and up, of course!). The 10 p.m. show includes party favors, a champagne toast, and a post-show dance party.
Feeling brave? Get scared into the new year at Dread Hollow! Don’t let the fun decorations and holiday lights fool you – horrors lurk within. Grab your fellow fear lovers, and visit the abandoned Krane Toy Factory where toymaker Thadeus Krane’s experiments haunt the halls. After making it out of the factory, test your wits in one of the site’s three escape rooms. While parental discretion is advised for this activity, this is a perfect experience for those of us who can’t get enough of Halloween or are just looking for a new, unique way to celebrate another year. Happy haunting!
