A Seattle New Year, For All Types

I still feel as though it was just last week that we bid farewell to long, sun-soaked summer days. Yet somehow autumn has flashed by, we’re barreling through the holidays at full-speed, and before we know it, another calendar year will come to an end. Whether you live for sequins and champagne toasts at midnight, or relish in the opportunity to rest and start fresh for the year ahead, here are some ideas to help you celebrate New Year’s Eve and the start of 2025 in and around Seattle.

For the food fanatics: If you aren’t in a food coma after Christmas, Hannukah, and Kwanza celebrations, commemorate the occasion with one last feast for the year.

• Hamdi: Join Hamdi for a three-course Turkish feast in Ballard. Start by snacking on various mezzes including carrot dip blended with dates, walnuts, and smoked yoghurt and flame-cooked mussels. Make sure to save room for the feature: an eight-hour whole roast lamb. Top it off with dessert and special New Year’s Eve libations. Reservations available starting at 5 p.m., $145/person.

An aerial view captures an assortment of decorative dishes showcasing gourmet foods on a wooden table, set for a Seattle New Year celebration, complete with glasses of white and red wine suitable for all types.

Spread of food at Hamdi.

Photo by Evan Sung

• Mezzanotte: Head to Disco al Dente in Georgetown on the final day of 2024. Mezzanotte has crafted two five-course tasting menus featuring delicacies like lobster Caesar, scallop crudo, and filet mignon. Enjoy your meal to the soundtrack of groovy disco tracks with the choice to elevate the occasion with wine and cocktail pairings ($150/person; $75 optional drink supplement).

• Harry’s Fine Foods: The culinary masterminds behind Harry’s Fine Foods have dreamt up two ways to celebrate New Year’s Eve. Tuck into a four-course meal on the shores of Alki at Harry’s Beach House, where you can savor dishes like smoked honey nut squash and seared scallops ($125/person). Or book a table at Harry’s neighborhood establishment in Capitol Hill for a tasting menu featuring pastrami smoked sturgeon and duck dumplings, among other tasty things ($95/person). Pre- or post-dinner, hit the lounge for celebratory bubbles and oysters.

A table with decorative plates of food on the left and a dimly lit dining table adorned with a candelabra and Christmas lights on the right sets the scene for a Seattle New Year celebration that's perfect for all types.

Harry’s Fine Foods in Capitol Hill.

Photo courtesy of Harry's Fine Food

For the festive folks: Get dressed up in your favorite glitter, velvet, and sequins, and ring in the New Year with some glitz and glam.

• The Fairmont Olympic hotel recently turned 100. Help celebrate its centennial in style this New Year’s Eve. The hotel’s speakeasy, the Founder’s Club, is throwing a 1920s-themed fête complete with sophisticated cocktails and a Dom toast at midnight. Come dressed in silver, black, gold, or white. The lobby’s Olympic Bar will be buzzing with a DJ, charcuterie, and a midnight countdown, and both restaurants (The George and Shucker’s Oyster Bar) are serving special menus throughout the evening.

The hotel lobby, perfect for a Seattle New Year for all types, is beautifully decorated with a large Christmas tree and festive garlands. Guests relax on couches in the warmly lit area, soaking in the holiday ambiance.

Festive lobby at Fairmont Olympic Hotel.

Photo by Hannah Corbin

In a Seattle New Year setting, this dimly lit cozy library boasts wooden bookshelves brimming with books and decorative treasures, perfect for bibliophiles of all types. A glimpse of the bar area in the background invites guests to celebrate and unwind.

The Founder’s Club.

Photo courtesy of Fairmont Olympic Hotel

• Ring in 2025 from the water with Argosy Cruises’ 21+ New Year’s bash. Set sail from the downtown waterfront, sip on champagne, and dance the night away while the boat makes its way to Lake Union. You’ll be treated to arguably the best view of fireworks dazzling over the Space Needle ($139/person).

• Gatsby New Year’s Eve party: Travel back to the 1920s and celebrate Gatsby-style at Columbia Tower. Look forward to an evening dressed in your flapper best while you enjoy appetizers, champagne toasts, DJs, and an up-close view of the fireworks in downtown when the clock strikes midnight ($150/person).

• Prom Night Y2K at Rhein Haus: Take a nostalgic trip down memory lane to a more recent moment in history. Dress up in your favorite prom glam and join Rhein Haus for a Y2K-themed Prom Night, complete with a 2000s playlist and crowning a prom king and queen of the night ($25 cover).

For the dancing queens and kings: After you’ve had a glass of champagne or two, it’s time to change into comfier shoes and get ready to dance your way into the New Year.

• Disco Fever at Benaroya Hall: Special guests are joining the Seattle Symphony for a night of nostalgic hits from the disco days. The concert starts at 9 p.m. and is followed by an afterparty culminating in a countdown to midnight.

• Shine New Year’s: Techno and house heads can head to the Kremwerk/Timbre Room/Cherry Complex for its annual New Year’s extravaganza. After you’ve toasted at midnight, the dance party continues ‘til 4 a.m.

• The Breakfast Club at Monkey Loft: Whether you want to keep the party going, are an early riser, or are a fan of day parties, head to Monkey Loft in Sodo where you can groove all morning and afternoon at The Breakfast Club. DJs hit the decks at 4 a.m. on New Year’s Day and keep the tunes going until 4. p.m.

For the wellness warriors: Amidst the craze of the holidays, remember to pause, breathe, and invest in some self-care. It’s OK to stay home on New Year’s Eve so you feel rested on the first day of the year.

• New Year’s yoga and intention-setting: Several yoga studios around Seattle are hosting New Year’s Day classes and workshops. Flow with Ritual House in North Capitol Hill for a special New Year’s Vinyasa class the morning of Jan. 1. Eight Limbs Yoga in Phinney Ridge is blending yoga flow, breathwork, and journaling for a New Year’s ritual experience on the afternoon of the first. If you’re interested in building a yoga practice, the new year is the perfect time to start, and Eight Limbs has a four-week intro series starting January 9. And on the weekend of January 11 and 12, Pranify is offering a weekend Ayurveda course to help you start the year with intentional, self-care practices rooted in Ayurvedic tradition

• Polar Plunge: Take a dip in the chilly waters of Puget Sound or Lake Washington to start the new year feeling revived. Sandpoint’s Polar Plunge kicks off with a 5k run or walk before dipping in Lake Washington. Renton, Tacoma, and Lake Sammamish are also hosting polar plunges on the morning of the Jan. 1. Trust me, it gets easier over time, and remember to breathe! Pack a change of warm, dry clothes and keep your hands and feet warm after the dip.

• Sauna and Plunge: If you prefer to heat up in a sauna before you take the plunge, the Seattle area has two relatively new outdoor sauna experiences right by bodies of water. Book a New Year’s Eve session with Bywater Sauna at Golden Gardens or a New Year’s Day session at Alki. Von Sauna in Kirkland also has slots open for New Year’s Day, where you can work up a sweat before jumping into Washington’s winter waters.

Four people in swimwear walk toward the water on a Seattle beach at sunset, with mountains and a ferry in the background. It's a New Year for all types, embracing the chill and beauty of the moment.

Guests cold plunging after sauna session with Bywater.

Photo by Simeon Pratt

• Enjoy the beauty of Washington on a First Day Hike: Start the New Year in nature and fresh air. More than 30 of Washington’s state parks are offering self-guided and staff-led hikes, snowshoeing, and scavenger hunts Jan. 1, including Lime Kiln Point, Deception Pass, and Tolmie. All hikes are free, and a Discover Pass is not needed for parking on Jan. 1.