Door County New Year’s Events

The Cherry Drop takes place at Husby’s at midnight. Music and bonfires begin at 10:30 pm.

Dropping into 2023

It’s time to put a bow on 2022 and look forward to 2023! 

Sister Bay will be the place to be Saturday night. If weather allows, the Teresa K. Hilander Community Ice Rink will be open for skating, with bonfires, concessions and fun at the rink, plus a big fireworks display at 8 pm.

Over at Peach Barn Brewery, Unity will take the stage, 7-10 pm, in what is sure to be a big bash in the taproom. 

Then the countdown is on for the highlight of the night. The Cherry Drop at Husby’s Garage, sponsored by FM 106.9 The Lodge, gets started at 10:30 pm with tunes and fires outside. The giant cherry made of lights drops to ring in the new year at midnight, followed by the tapping of the first beer of 2023 from Bridge Up Brewing Company. 

On New Year’s Day, will this be your year to plunge into the icy waters of Lake Michigan with a few hundred friends in Jacksonport? Or will you cozy up with hot chocolate to watch the (don’t blink) Egg Harbor New Year’s Day Parade?

However you kick it off, here’s to a happy new year! Find a complete list of celebrations, music and hikes in our events calendar.

New Year’s Eve Music and Events

Sister Bay Fireworks and Cherry Drop
8 pm: Fireworks, skating and bonfires at the Sister Bay Sports Complex, 2155 Autumn Court
10:30 pm: Music from FM 106.9 The Lodge begins at Husby’s Garage Bar
Midnight: The Lodge Cherry Drop at Husby’s Garage Bar

Fineline
9 am – 1 pm 
Waterfront Mary’s Bar & Grill
Jam out to music from the ’80s to today. 

Ben Larsen
12-3 pm
Harbor Ridge Winery
Enjoy acoustic Americana in an intimate, upstairs loft.

Good for the Soul
1-4 pm 
Parallel 44 Winery
Get ready to ring in the new year with this seasoned acoustic duo. 

Gary Weber
1-4 pm 
Door 44 Winery
Enjoy a glass of wine and some finger-picking guitar tunes.

Cathy Grier
2 pm
Door County Brewing Co.
This Sturgeon Bay favorite brings fundamental female blues up north. 

Unity
7-10 pm 
Peach Barn Farmhouse and Brewery
Unity will fill the farmhouse with roots, rock and reggae grooves.

Piano karaoke & jazz by Michael Gough.
8-11 pm
Stone Hedge Restaurant and Pub

Modern Day Drifters
8:30 pm
Log Den
Rock the night away with a blend of classic country and rock.

Bacchus Lotus
9:30 pm – 1 am
Stone Harbor
This longtime Door County staple presents a cosmic swirl of classic rock. 

Whiskey Ditch
9:30 pm
Carrington at the Landmark 
7643 Hillside Rd, Egg Harbor
Classic rock and good times. 

Panic Station
9 pm
Lodge at Leathem Smith 1640 Memorial Drive, Sturgeon Bay
Rock, pump and pop. 

New Year’s Day

First Day Hikes

If your New Year’s resolution is to get outside more or to move more, start off strong with one of these four free hikes. A state-park vehicle sticker is required for all except the Crossroads hike.

9:30 am – 12 pm 
Whitefish Dunes State Park, 3275 Clark Lake Road in Sturgeon Bay
After the walk, warm up with hot drinks and a bonfire. 

10 am – 12 pm
Peninsula State Park, 9462 Shore Road in Fish Creek
Guided, 30-minute hikes will leave from the recently renovated White Cedar Nature Center and end with hot drinks and a fire.

1 pm 
Newport State Park, 475 Cty NP in Ellison Bay
Meet in parking lot 3 for a 1.2-mile walk, then enjoy a bonfire and refreshments afterward.

2 pm 
Crossroads at Big Creek, 2041 Michigan St. in Sturgeon Bay
This hour-long hike leaves from the Collins Learning Center.

Jacksonport Polar Bear Swim
10:30 am registration; 12 pm swim 
Lakeside Park, Hwy 57 in Jacksonport
Looking for a refreshing start to the new year? There’s nothing quite like a freezing-cold dip in Lake Michigan! Take warm clothes, protective footwear and blankets. Free to participate.

Polar Plunge
12 pm
Waterfront Mary’s Bar and Grill, 3662 N. Duluth Ave. in Sturgeon Bay
Take an icy swim in Lake Michigan, then stop by Waterfront Mary’s to warm up with food and drinks. Both spectators and participants are welcome. 

New Year’s Day Parade
1 pm 
Downtown Egg Harbor
Watch an eccentric lineup of DIYed floats go by, or join the parade yourself. No registration is required – just don a costume, dress up your pets or decorate an old car (or motorcycle, or tractor, or heavy-construction equipment).