How to Ring in 2024 in Bar Harbor (Plus, What to Do if You Can’t Make It)

What To Do For New Year’s in Bar Harbor in 2024
In Bar Harbor and Acadia, you’ll get the best of both worlds for your New Year’s getaway – celebratory fun paired with opportunities to reset and restore. Bar Harbor restaurants will be offering New Year’s Eve specials, along with live music for an optimal night out. To get a head start on your New Year’s resolutions, you can book Destination Health’s restorative wellness retreat. Acadia National Park is open for your exploration (be sure to check the park’s current conditions) – whether you crave the peace and quiet of snowshoeing through the woods (conditions permitting!), or welcoming the first sunrise of 2024.
 
1. Take part in New Year’s Eve festivities around Bar Harbor.
Kick off the new year right – live music, cocktails, and award-winning cuisine await. It may be a quieter time of year, but you’ll find plenty of places filled with light, warmth, good food, and drinks.

• Fogtown Ellsworth New Year’s Eve Party: You know Fogtown Taproom & Kitchen for its diverse list of brews, wood-fired pizza, and warm atmosphere that makes for perfect trivia and game nights. The brewery will be holding a New Year’s Eve party at its Ellsworth location. Event highlights include a live band playing until midnight, outdoor fire pits, hot mulled wine, and a photo station! Find out more here.
• Havana New Year’s Eve Dinner in Bar Harbor: The fine dining American-Latin restaurant is planning a special, four-course dinner for New Year’s Eve. Indulge in a menu of both local classics, like lobster bisque, and Spanish takes on Maine’s seafood fare, such as paella. Reservations are recommended – call (207) 288-2822.
• Side Street Café’s New Year’s Eve Party: The celebration returns at the festive Side Street Café with a dessert station, scrumptious appetizers served well into the night, an open-air 360-degree photo booth, DJ, and hourly prizes. Tickets include all of the former, with the option to purchase a full bar and bottle service on-site. Find out more here.

 
2. See the first sunrise of 2024.
Greet 2024 by witnessing the first sunrise of the year in Acadia National Park while overlooking Frenchman Bay for a dazzling display of the rising sun. The Ocean Drive stretch of the Park Loop Road remains open to vehicles so you can watch the sunrise from the cozy comfort of your car. Or get out and walk the Ocean Path between Sand Beach and Otter Cliffs to welcome the New Year in the brisk open air. Be sure to prepare for the conditions by wearing warm layers and comfortable shoes and having a flashlight with you. Not a huge morning person? Bid 2023 adieu by taking in the sunset on New Year’s Eve instead – the western side of Mount Desert Island offers spectacular sunset views.
 
3. Live out your New Year’s resolutions at Destination Health.
Often, our New Year’s resolutions will include some type of wellness goal – whether that is strengthening our bodies with more nourishing foods, seeking opportunities to get moving or setting aside more time for ourselves. Destination Health is an ideal place to start 2024 by encouraging those habits that make us feel whole. They offer a diverse array of yoga and fitness classes, ranging from options that warm your muscles or make you really sweat! During a wellness retreat, you can enjoy fresh, nourishing foods prepared by the in-house chef. You’ll find plenty of ways to relax and recharge – their therapeutic treatments include massage, flotation therapy and a sauna.
 
4. Embrace your artistic side.

• 1932 Criterion Theatre Improv Class - The 1932 Criterion Theatre invites adults 18 and over to a free improv class on January 1, 2024, from 4-6 p.m. All skill levels are welcome to participate and explore the world of improvisation.
• ArtWaves’ New Year’s Day Celebration - ArtWaves will host a free open house on January 1 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., offering activities such as fiber arts, botanical printmaking, mosaic crafting, and dance. Find the details on their Facebook page.
• 8th Annual Hancock County Ice Quilting Derby - Starting January 1, 2024, the 8th Annual Hancock County Ice Quilting Derby kicks off, offering free block patterns through March 2024. Derby cards are available at participating shops: Fabricate (Bar Harbor), Quilt 'N Fabric (Southwest Harbor), Quiilty Biird (Ellsworth), and Bolt (Bucksport). Participants who complete their derby cards can win prizes through drawings.

5. Experience the wonder of stargazing on Sand Beach.
The beach? In the winter? At night?! Yes, yes and yes. This popular summer spot is a starry and serene wonderland on winter evenings. Weather permitting, New Year’s Eve makes for a great excuse to bundle up and witness the crystal-clear, star-studded skies, all whilst the ocean plays its soothing soundtrack. Be sure to follow the park’s safety guidelines while witnessing this amazing spectacle.

6. Savor Beal’s at home.
If you can’t make it to Bar Harbor, you can still bring some Bar Harbor to your New Year’s Eve dinner table. Beal’s at Home offers shipping services of live lobster, lobster meat, lobster roll kits, scallops, and crab meat straight to your door. Order online and plan an unforgettable special meal.

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