Family-Friendly New Year’s Events in Tulsa
Out with the old and in with the new year! Find places and events to celebrate the new year with your family in the Tulsa area.
We will update this list as information becomes available. If you know of an event we could add, please email our calendar editor, tara.rittler@gmail.com.
Tiny Tots New Years Celebration
- When: Dec. 27, 9-11 a.m.
- Where: Wheels and Thrills, 10637 N. Garnett Rd., Owasso
Wheels and Thrills’ Annual Tiny Tots New Year’s party is for those 6 and under and their families! Your $14.50 (plus tax) ticket includes jumping, riding toys, skating, playzone, and more. wheelsandthrills.com
Noon Year’s Eve at Discovery Lab
- When: Dec. 31, 9:30 a.m.-12 p.m.
- Where: Discovery Lab, 3123 S. Riverside Dr.
Noon Year’s Eve is a fun and family-friendly event that welcomes the New Year with exciting science activities, engaging demonstrations, and a spectacular 20,000-balloon drop at noon. Tickets go on sale to non-members Nov. 15.
Noon Year’s Eve at Chandler Park
- When: Dec. 31, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
- Where: Chandler Park, 6500 W. 21st St.
Skip the late-night countdown and celebrate early with a family-friendly New Year’s Eve party. Activities include games, snacks, a photo booth, hands-on STEM party favors, and a balloon drop at noon. Cost: $2 per person. Pre-register here.
Family Noon Year’s Eve Skate Party
- When: Dec. 31, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
- Where: Wheels and Thrills, 10637 N. Garnett Rd., Owasso
Families of all ages will love this fun event. wheelsandthrills.com
Noon Year’s Eve: 1,000 Hours Outside™ Grand-Prize Drawing!
- Dec. 31, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
- Herman and Kate Kaiser Library, 5202 S. Hudson Ave.
Celebrate the New Year with activities, book giveaways and a New Year countdown. If you’ve participated in the 1,000 Hours Outside™ program, don’t miss the grand-prize drawing at 11:55 a.m. tulsalibrary.org
Noon Year’s Eve Party at Martin Regional Library
- Dec. 31, 11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
- Martin Regional Library, 2601 S. Garnett Rd.
Activities, songs and a New Year countdown for the young and young at heart. tulsalibrary.org
Ringing In At Redbud
- When: Dec. 31, 7 p.m.-12:30 a.m.
- Where: Redbud Festival Park, 109 N. Main St., Owasso
This one-of-a-kind experience will include a night of show-stopping entertainment including local musical acts, comedians, fun, and games. Family-friendly hour is from 7-8 p.m.
New Year’s Eve 1920s Swing Dance
- When: Dec. 31, 9 p.m.-midnight
- Where: Southminster Community Center, 3500 S. Peoria Ave.
Join The Oklahoma Swing Syndicate (TOSS) for their annual New Year’s Swing Dance! This is a family-friendly event, no partner needed, all ages welcome. Swing lessons are from 9-9:30, and the dance is 9:30-12.
Race Into the New Year
- When: Dec. 31, 11 p.m. (1-mile Fun Run); 11:45 p.m. (5K)
- Where: River West Festival Park, 2100 S. Jackson Ave.
RunnersWorld Tulsa puts on this family-oriented 5K/1-mile fun run every year. Afterwards, there will be fireworks at midnight and treats. Learn more and sign up at raceintothenewyear.run
Philbrook Festival
- Dec. 31, 5:30-9:30 p.m. (Additional dates available)
- Philbrook Museum, 2727 S. Rockford Rd.
Spend New Year’s Eve at Philbrook Festival, with thousands of spectacular lights, art projects, concessions and more.
Rhema Lights
- When: Nightly through January 1, 5:30-11:30 p.m.
- Where: Rhema Bible Church, 1025 West Kenosha, Broken Arrow
Walk through a wonderland of lights! Enjoy refreshments like hot cocoa and popcorn. Admission is free (donations accepted); concessions available for purchase.
Visit Tulsa Zoo
- When: Daily
- Where: Tulsa Zoo, 6421 E. 36th St. N.
The Tulsa Zoo will be open New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day! Plan your visit at tulsazoo.org.
Visit Oklahoma Aquarium
- When: Daily, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. (last admission sold at 5 p.m.)
- Where: Oklahoma Aquarium, 300 Aquarium Dr., Jenks
The Oklahoma Aquarium will be open New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day during regular hours.
10 Ways to Celebrate New Year’s Eve with the Kids
- Get out the fancy glasses (or plasticware). Get a variety of juices (orange, cranberry, grape) and some fizzy water, cider or soda and let kids create their own mocktails. Have a contest to come up with the most delicious drink and most inventive name.
- Winterfest in downtown Tulsa is still going strong. Why not take the family ice skating?
- Let the kids choose the songs and have a dance party. Or have each kid choose a song and come up with a dance to perform for the rest of the family.
- Write resolutions together. Talk to kids about your resolutions and why you picked them, and then help kids come up with some of their own. Write them down and post them, or put them in a time capsule to open next New Year’s Eve to see who kept their resolutions. You might even break a big resolution into smaller steps with one-month increments.
- If you’re having friends or family over, let the kids make a photo booth. Get a big roll of craft paper (white or a color) and let the kids decorate it with designs or a scene. Find some silly hats, glasses and other props and let everyone take pictures in the photo booth. There are also photobooth apps you can download.
- Make activity balloons. Write down any activity on a slip of paper (like “play Old Maid” or “Draw a picture of mom”) and put slips into balloons. Pop one an hour until midnight and do the activity in the balloon.
- Have each child pick a favorite book and, if he or she can read, read it to the family, or have mom or dad read it.
- Have a cozy movie night with hot cocoa, lots of blankets and pillows and popcorn.
- Gather supplies to make a family scrapbook showing the past year.
- Get noisemakers and supplies for kids to make crazy hats. At midnight, let them go outside to bang pots, make noise and celebrate the new year.
