7+ Kid-Friendly New Year’s Eve Celebrations: Columbia, SC

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On the hunt for family-friendly ways to ring in the New Year? Columbia, SC is home to several spectacular NYE events and the good news is, several of them are kid-friendly! The majority of these events will be over well before midnight, leaving plenty of time to get home before the bigger celebrations begin. We’ve found events with miniature ball drops, bowling, skating, great prizes, and more!

Happy New Year from the Kidding Around Columbia team! 

Capital City Fireworks

Where: Downtown Columbia, SC
Time: Fireworks are at midnight
Price: Free
Event Details: Replacing the popular Famously Hot New Year’s event in 2022, is the family-friendly event, Capital City Fireworks. Families are invited to spend time in the city and stay for fireworks at midnight. The best places to view the fireworks will be along Gervais Street and Main Street, to the north side of the SC State House.

City parking garages will all be free for this event. In fact, you’ll find free parking at all city-run garages from December 30th, 2022 through January 3rd, 2023.

Capital City Fireworks

Cold Winter’s Day 5K and Family Fun Run 

Where: 4801 Forest Drive 
Time: 5K at 10 am; Snowflake Youth Fun Run at 10:45 am 
Price: From $15 to $50 depending on race and sign-up date
Event Details: Kick-off your celebrations with a 5K and/or family fun run! This is a rain-or-shine event. Runners will receive a t-shirt! 

Cold Winter’s Day 5K and Family Fun Run

Noon Year’s Eve Celebration at Altitude Trampoline Park

Where: Altitude Trampoline Park – 7451 Garners Ferry Road
Time: 10:30 am until 12:30 pm
Price: $16/jumper
Event Details: Join Altitude to celebrate 2023! This includes 2 hours of jump time, a balloon drop, prizes, sparkling cider toast, and more! Be sure to purchase your tickets ASAP as this deal is limited to the first 100 jumpers. Tickets should be purchased on or before December 29th. 

Noon Year’s Eve Celebration – Altitude Trampoline Park

Skateland Fun Center Celebrations 

There are TWO New Year’s Eve events at Skateland Fun Park! 

  • Kids New Year Celebration 
    • Time: 10:30 am until 12:30 pm 
    • Price: $6/skater – rental skates included 
    • Event Details: This event will offer plenty of family fun, prizes, candy scramble, celebratory hats and horns, and so much more! 
  • 2023 New Year Glow Party
    • Time: 6 pm until 10 pm
    • Price: $6 for 5 and younger; $8.50 for ages 6 to 11; $9 for 12 and older 
    • Event Details: This is an event for all ages! Celebrate the New Year with a fun glow party! 

Skateland Fun Center NYE Celebrations

More places to go bowling in Columbia, SC with the kids.

Dave & Buster’s New Year Celebration

Where: Dave & Buster’s – 100 Columbiana Circle, Suite 5
Time: 4 pm until 7 pm 
Price: $36.53/person
Event Details: Celebrate the New Year with your family at Dave & Buster’s. Admission includes an appetizer buffet, unlimited drink options, Ginger Ale toast, $20 power card, party hats, and more! 

Dave & Buster’s New Year Celebration

Fireflies Holiday Lights – NYE Event 

Where: Segra Park – 1640 Freed Street 
Time: 5 pm until 8 pm 
Price: From $9 to $16 
Event Details: This will be your last chance to get a glimpse of the Fireflies Holiday Lights at Segra Park. There will be a kid-friendly NYE ball drop at 7 pm complete with sparkling cider and plenty of fun! 
We visited! Check out the Kidding Around Review of Fireflies Holiday Lights.

Fireflies Holiday Lights – NYE Event

New Year’s Eve Late Night Skate

Where: Three Fountains Recreation Skating Rink and Mini Golf
Time: 7:30 pm to 2 am
Price: $12 in advance, $15 at the dor
Events Details: Advanced sale tickets get to enter early at 7 am. Skate and mini golf and a pair of skates will be given away at the event.

New Year’s Eve Late Night Skate at Three Fountains

New Year’s Eve Bash 2023 

Where: The Grand – 1621 Main Street 
Time: 7:oo pm until 2 am 
Price: No tickets necessary for General Admission 
Event Details: This will be a New Year’s Bash featuring outdoor games, indoor bowling, a DJ, and a countdown to the New Year! 

New Year’s Eve Bash 2023

New Year’s Eve on the Lanes 

Where: AMF Bowling – 900 Axtell Drive 
Time: 9 pm until 1 am 
Price: Depends on package – more info below 
Event Details: Start 2023 off with a strike! There are two different packages to choose from: 

  • NYE Family Package
    • $35.99/person
    • 2 hours of unlimited bowling
    • Multiple time slots are available on both December 31 and January 1, 2023. 
  • NYE Ball Drop 
    • $60.99/person
    • 4 hours of unlimited bowling (9 pm until 1 am) 
    • Sparkling cider and champagne toast 

New Year’s Eve on the Lanes

Start the Year Off Outdoors

Parties and big celebrations not your style? How about starting off the year with some fresh air and exercise? There are several places right in Columbia where you can enjoy a more relaxed New Year’s Day and get in a long walk or a hike.

Holiday Lights

Christmas Light Driving Tour

New Year’s Eve is often the last night to see holiday light displays. If you haven’t had a chance to drive through our Columbia holiday lights driving routes, New Year’s Eve is the night!

Find More Things to Do!

Still need more ideas? We have them!

Winter break camps and things to do in Columbia, SC

How will your family ring in the New Year?

Kayla Simmons
About the Author
Kayla grew up right outside of Charleston, SC and is a proud graduate of the University of South Carolina. She has lived in Columbia for a combination of 5 years. Kayla has a background working with special needs children, but now enjoys nothing more than being a stay-at-home mom of two. She enjoys keeping her kids busy by finding unique play spaces and events, involving them in hands-on activities and watching them learn about the world through play. In her free time she enjoys reading, exercise and spending quality time with her family and friends.

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