New Year’s Eve is a time to make resolutions, reflect on the year, and celebrate! The final day of the year was one of the most exciting, expensive, and busy days. The city of Philadelphia offered an abundance of events to ring in 2023.
There were several fireworks shows in the city. The most incredible was the Rivers Casino New Year’s Eve Fireworks on the Waterfront on December 31st. The first showing was at 6 pm, and another at midnight. The show was entirely free and was presented on KYW newsradio to allow listeners to hear the soundtrack being played at the show. The best places to watch in person were Penn’s Landing and just outside Rivers Casino, but the event could be viewed all over the city.
If a show is not exciting enough for you and your family or friends, the Blue Cross RiverRink Winterfest offered a party on ice! On the 31st there were two time slots– 5 pm to 8 pm and 10 pm to 1 am. This event had the best view of the Rivers Casino fireworks. At the ice rink there was food, drinks, and a ferris wheel for ticket holders to participate in.
Yet spending your New Year’s Eve outside in the cold may not sound appealing, so there were many other indoor options. One is Cherry Street Pier’s New Year’s Eve Party. The event was 21 and over. It featured live music, dancing, and a fantastic view of the fireworks at midnight.
Even more spectacular was the Moshulu’s three course NYE event. In the historic tall ship at Penn’s Landing there was a pre-fixed menu from 3 pm to 6 pm. From the boat the fireworks on the Delaware River were seen. At 9 pm the boat turned into a boat bash with a DJ and music.
Partying may be unappealing, but there were other, calmer, events going on as well. At the Kimmel Center there was a special performance on December 31st. The Philadelphia Orchestra played a program of audience favorites from the past year with the key vocalist being Nikki Renée Daniels.
If going out on NYE evening isn’t something you are interested in, there was also a kid-friendly option at the Please Touch Museum. Their Countdown2noon event was held from 9 am to 3 pm. There was music, dancing, and a ball drop at noon– all included in the regular admission ticket for the day.
And if you just wanted to stay home and prepare to watch the Mummers Parade at 9 am on New Year’s day, the city of Philadelphia was still happy that you joined them in celebration. Happy New Year!
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