2024 Door County New Year’s Events: Drop, Plunge, Parade!

The crowd watches the cherry drop at the Garage Bar at Husby’s in 2022. File photo by Rachel Lukas.

Celebrating the start of a new year means donning winter gear in northern Door County, where dropping, plunging and parading are the traditions of choice, and they all take place outdoors.

The ignition of your New Year’s spirit starts Sunday, Dec. 31 in Sister Bay at 8 pm with the annual fireworks display at the Sister Bay Sports Complex, located at 2155 Autumn Court in Sister Bay. From there, head over to the party at Husby’s outdoor Garage Bar, 10647 N. Bay Shore Dr. in Sister Bay, for the 7th annual New Year’s Eve Cherry Drop, from FM 106.9 The Lodge. Hundreds of revelers gather at Husby’s to watch the drop, at midnight, of a 300-pound cherry made of lights dangling 120 feet above the ground. The official countdown for the drop will begin shortly before midnight, but the party starts sooner with The Lodge spinning tunes outside beginning at 10:30 pm. 

The next morning – welcome 2024! – if you’re still a little shaky from all the merrymaking, shock your circulation into high-gear by taking a New Year’s Day dip in the icy waters of Lake Michigan during the polar plunge at Lakeside Park at noon.

Once you can feel your outer extremities again, dash over to the Village of Egg Harbor for its 44th annual New Year’s Day parade, which starts at 1 pm and runs north through the village from Harbor School Road to County Highway E. 

This is perhaps the peninsula’s most casual of parades, with an open invitation for anyone to join and no formal registration required. Line up is at Stella Maris Parish, 7710 state Highway 42 in downtown Egg Harbor. Dress up, bring pets, decorate an old car/motorcycle/construction equipment – you’re only limited by your ingenuity. 

Happy 2024 northern Door County-style – bring it on!