New Year's Eve in Dayton

The Brightside Music and Event Venue hosts their annual Ball Drop starting at 8 PM. The 2 NEWS anchor is on stage as host. Silent Disco runs alongside the main event. A good mix of people, good energy, and one of the more consistently fun New Year's Eve events in the city. Tickets required and they go fast in November. Reserve your spot as soon as they go on sale.

The Foundry does a themed New Year's Eve event. Past years have been Roaring 1920s with passed appetizers, dessert table, a live DJ, and a midnight countdown and champagne toast. Upscale but not stuffy. Good option if you want somewhere with food, drinks, and entertainment all in one place rather than fighting for bar seating at midnight.

Oregon Express NYE is a staple of the Oregon District scene. Past themes have included Alice in Wonderland with full themed decorations, a buffet, champagne toast, and multiple DJs running into the early morning. The Oregon District in general becomes a street-level party on New Year's Eve as people move between venues on Fifth Street.

The Marriott at UD runs an upscale New Year's Eve event with a dueling piano band, champagne midnight toast, and an open bar. Past years started at 7:15 PM and ran through 12:15 AM. Hotel guests can walk to their room. The venue is nicer than your average bar scene and the dueling pianos keep the energy high without a DJ pounding all night.

If RiverScape's outdoor skating ribbon is open on New Year's Eve — and it usually is — skating into midnight is an underrated way to spend the night. Free if you bring your own skates. Downtown Dayton is walkable to several bars and restaurants for the late-night part. Different energy than a crowded bar and genuinely fun with a group.

Clifton Mill's Festival of Lights runs through December 30 so it won't be open on the 31st but the last few nights of the display are some of the best for atmosphere. If you want a family-friendly early evening on December 30, this is the call. Then you're home by 9 and can ring in midnight on your own terms.

If you don't have tickets to a specific event, the Oregon District is the default answer for New Year's Eve in Dayton. Multiple bars within a short walk of each other, street energy picks up around 10 PM, and there's always something going on at most venues. Nostalgia, Yellow Cab Tavern, and the other regulars all run NYE specials. No one ticket required.