Looking for a memorable start to 2025? Then look no further than Winston-Salem. Whether you’re looking to ring in the new year with a glamorous celebration, high-energy dance party, or just a quiet night with the ones you love, Winston-Salem has just what you're looking for, including the return of some beloved NYE events and traditions. Throughout the city, you'll find everything from champagne toasts to themed dance parties to a one-of-a-kind midnight run. Here are a few of our top bets for New Year's Eve.

CELEBRATIONS & SHOWS

Millennium Center’s NYE Dance Party

Ring in the New Year with a night full of music, lights, and dancing at the Millennium Center’s popular New Year’s Eve Dance Party (seen above). You’ll enjoy the best dance music from the past 25 years, brought to life by Millennium House DJs and 815 Events. Celebrate the countdown to midnight with large screens showing the Times Square ball drop and high-energy music videos. Raise a complimentary glass of champagne at midnight, then keep the good vibes going with a post-midnight breakfast—all included in your $35 ticket. VIP Tickets are also available for $45. This event has been held annually for almost 30 years, so it’s one you don’t want to miss!

• Where: The Millennium Center, 101 W. Fifth St., Winston-Salem
• More Details: For more info or to purchase tickets, click here.

The Village Inn’s NYE Celebration

With two live bands plus three fantastic DJ’s, you’re sure to have fun all night! Kids in America, one of NC’s best 80’s tribute bands, will be back by popular demand and they’re also welcoming SEVEN TiL SUNRISE this year. In addition to the music, there will be hors d'oeuvres, party favors, a cash bar, and champagne toast. Tickets for the party are $45, but they also have package options if you don’t want to go home. A one-night stay, two NYE party tickets, and complimentary breakfast is $200, or you can upgrade to a suite for a total of $265.

• Where: Village Inn & Events Center, 6205 Ramada Drive, Clemmons
• More info: For more details on the party or to book your overnight stay, click here.

Y2k NYE Throwback Show at Hoots Beer Co.

 Celebrate the new year with a nod to the 90s at Hoots Bar’s Y2K NYE Throwback Show. Headlined by Codeseven, with performances by Blankface, The Bronzed Chorus, and Idol Talk, this lineup is perfect for you if you love bold punk and metal energy. Dig out your favorite 90s-inspired outfit and enjoy a free champagne toast at midnight. Hoots Beer Co. is turning into one of the most popular spots for live music in Winston-Salem, so this is a great opportunity to come out and see why. Tickets are $20, and the show will start at 7 p.m.!

• Where: Hoots Beer Co., 840 Mill Works St, Winston-Salem
• More info: For more info or to purchase tickets, click here.

The Ultimate New Year’s Eve at ROAR

ROAR is consistently one of the best entertainment venues in Winston-Salem, and that is no different for New Year’s Eve! This all-night celebration offers something for everyone — live music, DJs, bowling, golf simulators, arcade games, and the Twisted Putter. General admission is free before 8 p.m. and $20 after, with exclusive VIP options available. For $60 ($50 early bird), reserve a spot in the Front Room Lounge, featuring live jazz, a complimentary champagne toast, and an intimate setting with limited tickets. For the ultimate VIP experience, secure a table in the Mayfair Club Platinum Lounge for $500 ($400 early bird). This package includes plush seating for six, a charcuterie board, a personal bottle of champagne, and access to a dedicated bar.

• Where: ROAR, 633 N Liberty St, Winston-Salem
• More Details: To purchase tickets for this event, click here.

NYE Dinner Party at Shelton Vineyards

If you want something a little upscale, make the quick drive to Dobson to one of the Yadkin Valley’s oldest and most popular wineries. Shelton Vineyard is hosting an elegant dinner party at their restaurant, Harvest Grill, where you’ll enjoy a five-course meal paired with their award-winning wines. There will also be live music and dancing to help ring in the New Year. Single tickets are $205, while a couple’s ticket is $405 for dinner and a welcome glass of wine.

• Where: Shelton Vineyard, 286 Cabernet Ln, Dobson
• More Details: To preview the dinner menu, purchase tickets, and find more information, click here.

NYE Concert with the WS Symphony and Piedmont Opera

If a night at the opera is more your style, then you can spend the evening with the Piedmont Opera and Winston-Salem Symphony for a concert at the R.J. Reynolds Auditorium. Listen to the talents of Piedmont Opera favorites Jodi Burns, Tichina Vaughan, and Jonathan Johnson. Piedmont Opera’s Maestro, James Allbritten will conduct the Winston-Salem Symphony, and you’ll enjoy a range of holiday classics and beautiful arias. Tickets start at $24 for this new event, and it runs from 7:30 to 9 p.m.

• Where: R.J. Reynolds Auditorium, 301 N. Hawthorne Road, Winston-Salem
• More info: For more info or to purchase tickets, click here. 

Vaudeville Frolic with Camel City Playhouse

For a throwback to the 1920s, join Camel City Playhouse for their free Vaudeville Frolic. Doors open at 7 p.m., and you can grab a drink and mingle until the show starts at 8 p.m. While the Vaudeville show is free, you can stick around for their ticketed event starting at 10 p.m., which is a screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Tickets are $10. Between these two events, they will announce next year’s schedule for the 12 shows in their Spilled Ink Staged Readings series. At midnight, they’ll pop the champagne to toast 2025!

• Where: Camel City Playhouse, 110 W. 7th Street.
• More info: For more info or to purchase tickets, click here.

FITNESS & FAMILY FUN

Tanglewood's Running of the Lights

Skip the New Year’s Eve parties and get a running start on your new year and health goals at the annual Running of the Lights at Tanglewood Park. This family-friendly 5K race begins shortly before midnight on New Year’s Eve and traipses through Tanglewood’s Festival of Lights display. Participants watch a live feed from Times Square counting down to the new year, and when the clock strikes 12, the fun run/walk begins. You’ll wind through the park aglow with Christmas lights and toast the new year with hot chocolate provided at the finish line. The event also serves a good cause, doubling as a fundraiser for the St. Peter's Outreach Center. In addition to the 5K race, there will be a 1.75-mile fun run/walk that also begins at midnight. Not wanting to drive home after the run? Have no fear; convenient accommodations are available at the nearby Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Clemmons.  

• Where: Tanglewood Park, 4061 Clemmons Road, Clemmons
• More details: Registration closes on New Year's Eve at 11:45 p.m. For details on registration, course maps, and more, click here.

Carolina Thunderbirds Home Game

Cheer on the Carolina Thunderbirds as they take on the Blue Ridge Bobcats for a special New Year’s Eve game starting at 8:35 p.m.! Perfect for families with teens, the games typically wrap up just after 11 p.m. Stick around for the unique “puck drop” at midnight to celebrate the start of 2025. They’ll suspend a puck above the center of the rink and drop it when the clock strikes 12. Tickets for the game start at $12 in the upper sections and $19 in the lower sections.

• Where: Winston-Salem Fairgrounds Annex, 414 Deacon Blvd, Winston-Salem
• More Details: For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.

Noon Year's Eve at Kaleideum

Celebrate the New Year a few hours early at Kaleideum’s Noon Year’s Eve Party! From 11am to 1p.m., enjoy a fun-filled celebration perfect for kids and families. The event features crafts, music, a lively dance party, and plenty of confetti to excite the kids. This marks the first Noon Year’s Eve in Kaleideum’s newly opened space, making it a great opportunity to explore the museum while kicking off the new year in style. The event is included with regular admission or membership, and the highlight is the big balloon drop at noon.

• Where: Kaleideum, 120 W 3rd Street, Winston-Salem
• More Details: To learn more about this event, click here.

Many of the local breweries in Winston-Salem are hosting New Year’s Eve celebrations with live music or DJs and plenty of your favorite brews. Wise Man Brewing is hosting two different NYE parties—one on Saturday, Dec. 28 and another on Dec. 31. DJSK will be at both, and of course, they’ll have champagne. Fiddlin’ Fish will be open the afternoon of NYE and have to-go beer specials so you can stock the fridge for your party! Mystic Muse will be at Foothills Brew Pub for live music from 8:00 - 11:50p.m. No matter which one you decide to attend, it’s sure to be a good time. You can see all the happenings by checking individual brewery websites. For a look at all breweries in the downtown area, see our Craft Draft Crawl page.