Events to welcome 2024 in Las Vegas

Fireworks by Grucci will launch its show from the rooftops of eight Las Vegas Strip resorts at midnight. It will be a 10-minute spectacle. Here on the Las Vegas Strip in front of the Caesars Palace. (Frank Alejandre / The Nevadan)

By Aleza Freeman

December 18, 2023

The City of Las Vegas expects crowds of nearly half-a-million people to celebrate New Year’s Eve 2023-2024 on the Las Vegas Strip and in Downtown Las Vegas. Attending is bound to cost you a pretty penny, with hotel rates typically soaring and a price tag for just about everything.

It’s also not exactly kid-friendly and you won’t have much personal space.

Fortunately, there are some free ways for Las Vegas families to get in on the New Year’s Eve fun, whether you’d prefer to enjoy the countdown at an event, at home or from your family’s secret fireworks viewing location.

Here are some tips and free or cheap events for a family-friendly New Year’s Eve 2023.

Celebrate early

Are you the parent of young kiddos with early bedtimes? Is staying up until midnight out of the question? Do you want to nab a headstart on your New Year’s resolution list? The solution is to celebrate early.

The following events are designed to provide the experience of the tradition of counting down to midnight on New Year’s Eve–just at a more reasonable hour.

Las Vegas-Clark County Library District
Celebrate before noon on Dec. 31 with songs, snacks, fun, games, crafts and countdowns at libraries across the valley, including:

Sahara West Library: 11 a.m. to noon (ages 0 to 8).
Whitney Library: 11 a.m. to noon (all ages, including kids, teens and families).
Spring Valley Library: 11:30 a.m. to noon (ages 0 to 11).
Centennial Hills Library: 11:30 a.m. to noon (ages 0 to 5).

Town Square
The outdoor shopping center, located near I-215 and Las Vegas Boulevard, hosts its family-friendly Noon Year’s Eve event from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Families are welcome as kids toast to the new year with milk or juice during mock countdowns and balloon drops in the Town Square Park. Music will be provided by a live DJ. There may be a small fee for some attractions like bounce houses and slides.

Other cheap or free ideas for families

Ride the Jupiter Express Holiday Train around The Lawn at Downtown Summerlin ($5).
Do Sunday family crafts at the Rainbow Library: 10 a.m. to 5:45 p.m.
Tour the Ethel M botanical garden to see cactus and other plants and flowers all lit up for the holidays.
Drive around neighborhoods and enjoy all the holiday light displays before they come down.

Fireworks everywhere

The valley begins to snap, crackle and pop with firework shows as soon as it gets dark. This ongoing explosion of colors, lights and sounds continues well beyond midnight.

The fanfare is viewable across the valley, from random parking spots in the desert to parks to garage rooftops (no trespassing).

Here’s a small highlight of where to look in the sky on the final evening of 2023:

Las Vegas Strip
Fireworks by Grucci will launch its show from the rooftops of eight Las Vegas Strip resorts at midnight. It will be a 10-minute spectacle that’s broadcast to millions of U.S. households and on streaming platforms.

These are the participating resorts:

Other locations

Las Vegas Motor Speedway at 9 p.m.
Plaza Hotel & Casino at midnight.

Aleza Freeman

Aleza Freeman is a Las Vegas native with two decades of experience writing and editing travel, tourism, and lifestyle stories in Nevada. Her work has appeared in AARP magazine, Haute Living and Nevada Magazine.

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