Ring in the New Year with your family by your side! Knoxville Moms has put together a list of several family-friendly NYE events taking place in East Tennessee. Some require advanced registration, so make your plans now. If you’d rather stay home to welcome 2026, our Knoxville Moms contributors have you covered, too!
- Tricia H. shared the family tradition her children ask for every year. “We all get in our pjs early and have appetizer night for dinner. Kids help make them. We eat dinner in front of the Christmas tree (like a picnic) on the floor before we take it down.”
- Julia C. has a perfect plan for parents of littles. “We show a ball dropping at 8:00pm on YouTube and then send our toddler to bed!”
- Jamie M. came up with a fun camping theme for her family’s NYE celebration. They set up a tent inside their home, went on a scavenger hunt and even played forest sounds on Alexa. “The kids still talk about it and keep asking if we’re doing the same thing this year!”
For more ideas on at-home New Year’s fun, click here. No matter how you decide to celebrate, Knoxville Moms wishes you a happy new year!
How do you and your family celebrate the new year?
New Year’s Eve Family Knoxville Events
New Year’s Eve at the Sunsphere
Downtown Knoxville, TN
World’s Fair Park
12/31/25 9:00PM
FREE
Bring in 2026 with your friends and family at World’s Fair Park! There will be food trucks, free activities and a DJ. There will be a silent disco at 9:00PM and live music with Liquid Velvet from 9:00PM to 11:55PM. The ball will drop from the Sunsphere at midnight. For more information, click here.
New Year’s at Noon
Farragut, TN
Farragut Community Center
239 Jamestowne Boulevard, Farragut, TN 37934
12/31/25 11:00AM-12:30PM
Free Entry
Join us for a New Year’s Eve celebration at noon! Enjoy dancing, NYE snacks and child-friendly bubbly drinks while celebrating the new year at an easier time of day. No registration is required. See website for more details.
The Muse Cheer in the New Year
Knoxville, TN
The Muse of Knoxville
516 North Beaman Street, Knoxville, TN 37914
12/31/25 9:30AM-12:30PM
General Admission: $30 Muse Members, $35 Non-Members
Help us Cheer in the New Year at Muse Knoxville with some kid-friendly fun! Activities will include a catered breakfast, activity stations, sparkling juice toast, New Year’s swag bags and a ball drop! For more information, visit the event website.
Noon Year’s Eve PJ Party
Knoxville, TN
We Rock the Spectrum
9648 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37922
12/31/25 9:00AM-12:30PM
General Admission: $20.00
Come dressed in your pajamas, play the morning away, and ring in the New Year with us! There will be balloons and face/arm painting. Stay for the countdown and balloon drop at noon. There will also be a special guest appearance! For more information, click here.
Noon Year’s Eve Party
Knoxville, TN
Playtime in the Plains
8537 Asheville Highway, Knoxville, TN 37924
12/31/25 10:00AM-12:00PM, 1:00PM-3:00PM & 4:00PM-6:00PM
General Admission: $20.00
Celebrate the New Year early at Playtime’s Noon Year’s Eve Party! Designed just for kids, this special event lets families enjoy all the excitement of New Year’s Eve- without staying up late. Children will enjoy a festive balloon drop countdown to 2026, dancing, playtime, photo booth fun, snacks, punch and a hands-on New Year’s craft. With three session times to choose from, it’s the perfect way to wrap up the year with joy, laughter, and memory-making fun! To purchase tickets, click here.
New Year’s Eve Late Skate
Maryville, TN
Roll Arena Party Zone
2801 East Broadway Avenue, Maryville, TN 37804
Oliver Springs, TN
1215 E. Tri County Boulevard, Oliver Springs, TN 37840
12/31/25 7:00PM-2:00AM
General Admission: $15.00 with skate rental
Roll into the new year at Roll Arena Party Zone! There will be family friendly games all night and prizes. For more information, visit the Roll Arena Facebook page.
New Year’s Eve All Night Skate
Knoxville, TN
Skatetown
5713 North Broadway Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37918
12/31/25 7:30PM-2:00AM
General Admission: $25.00 plus skate rental
A family-friendly event to skate in the new year! There will be games and drawings will be held throughout the night for prizes. One lucky ticket holder will win a new pair of roller skates at midnight. For more information, go to the Skatetown website.
New Year’s Eve Sunset Cocoa & Cider Hike
Kodak, TN
Seven Islands State Birding Park
2809 Kelly Lane, Kodak, TN 37764
12/31/25 4:30PM-6:30PM
General Admission: $8.00, Children Under 6 are Free
Join Ranger Stephanie for an easy stroll down Kelly Lane Greenway at Seven Islands to the Green House where we’ll watch the sunset over the French Broad River one last time in 2025! The beauty of the sunset will be enjoyed from the porch area of the Green House as we sip hot chocolate and hot apple cider. Bring your own cup if you would like, but cups will be available as well. Participants will learn about the history of the park and the work that park staff do year-round to make Seven Islands a great place for wildlife and visitors. This is a great opportunity for visitors to chat with Ranger Stephanie and ask any questions you may have about the park. The total round-trip distance of the hike will be approximately two miles and will be entirely along the paved Kelly Lane Greenway. We’ll listen and look for birds making their final flights and songs for the day. Participants should plan on meeting Ranger Stephanie at the Bluebird Barn by the main entrance off Kelly Lane by 4:30pm. Advanced registration is required.
New Year’s Day Nature Hike
Kodak, TN
Seven Islands State Birding Park
2809 Kelly Lane, Kodak, TN 37764
1/1/26 1:00PM-3:00PM
General Admission: FREE
New Year’s Even Countdown Community Event
Oak Ridge, TN
Bissell Park
1403 Oak Ridge Turnpike, Oak Ridge, TN 37830
12/31/25 7:00PM-12:00AM
General Admission: Free
UT Arboretum First Day Hike
Oak Ridge, TN
UT Arboretum
901 South Illinois Avenue, Oak Ridge, TN 37830
1/1/26 9:00AM-10:30AM
General Admission: Free
East Tennessee Polar Plunge
Vonore, TN
Vonore Recreational Boat Ramp
27707 Tellico Parkway, Loudon, TN 37774
1/1/26 11:00AM-1:00PM
General Admission: Early Registration $30 Adults, $20 Kids 17 & Under; Day Of Registration $35 Adults, $25 Kids 17 & Under
New Year’s Eve Celebration at The Island
Pigeon Forge, TN
The Island
131 The Island Drive, Pigeon Forge, TN 37863
12/31/25 7:00PM-12:00PM
General Admission: Free
Join us at The Island in Pigeon Forge as we countdown to 2025 with a free concert Emily Anne Roberts and a dazzling midnight fireworks production! The Island in Pigeon Forge is excited to offer families the opportunity to celebrate and make cherished memories together while ringing in the New Year in spectacular fashion! Join us on New Year’s Eve for a day of family fun and incredible fireworks, and let’s kick off 2026 with a bang!
Gatlinburg New Year’s Eve Ball Drop
Gatlinburg, TN
Space Needle
115 Historic Nature Trail, Gatlinburg, TN 37738
12/31/25 9:30PM-12:00PM
General Admission: Free
Gatlinburg will ring in the new year under the cover of the iconic Gatlinburg Space Needle for its Annual New Year’s Eve Ball Drop and Fireworks Show. Since 1987, this free family-friendly celebration has been one of the largest organized New Year’s Eve events in the nation, and this year’s end-of-the-year celebration is set to be a spectacular end to the year. For more information, visit the event website.
New Year’s Eve Cruise
Knoxville, TN
Volunteer Princess
956 Volunteer Landing Lane, Knoxville, TN 37915
12/31/25 5:00PM-7:30PM & 9:30PM-12:30AM
General Admission: Early Cruise Adults $99.95/Children $79.95, Late Cruise Adults $174.95
Celebrate New Year’s Eve in Knoxville in a unique way: aboard the Volunteer Princess. Take a seat at your private table. Enjoy a cruise around Knoxville in two fully enclosed and climate-controlled decks! Sip on a glass of champagne and visit our bar on the upper deck. Make your night extra special with our celebration package! We promise the best New Year’s Eve cruise in Knoxville. For more information, visit the Volunteer Princess website.
New Year’s Eve Dinner Train
Chattanooga, TN
Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum
4119 Cromwell Road, Chattanooga, TN 37421
12/31/25 6:45PM-8:45PM
General Admission: Table of 4: $240.00, Table for 2: $290.00
Ancient Lore Village New Year’s Eve Dinner
Knoxville, TN
Ancient Lore Village
7107 Sevierville Pike, Knoxville, TN 37920
12/31/25 5:30PM-8:30PM
Appetizers + Dinner: $99.00 per person
It’s a culinary celebration at Ancient Lore Village this New Year’s Eve! The menu includes surf and turf, rustic mashed potatoes, chocolate flourless cake and a glass of champagne for those ages 21 and up to name just a few things. Make reservations here.
New Year’s Day 5K Run/Walk & Kid’s Mile
Knoxville, TN
Third Creek Greenway
3110 Sutherland Avenue
1/1/26 8:30AM Kids Run Begins, 9:00AM 5K Begins
Late Registration $35.00, Race Day Registration $40.00
The Knoxville Track Club is holding a run/walk to kick off 2026! Kids can take part, too. For more information, click here.
