Rockport’s annual year-end celebration of the arts returns after a two-year hiatus! Rockport New Year’s Eve (RNYE) is a family-friendly year-end celebration of the arts held in downtown Rockport, Massachusetts annually since 1997. Halls, churches, town offices, and some streets are taken over by happy revelers celebrating the New Year.
A wide range of entertainment for adults and children will begin at 6:00pm and culminate with a midnight ball drop. The 14 downtown entertainment venues will include halls, churches, and restaurants, all within easy walking distance of one another. CATA trolleys will circulate among the venues and parking areas. Activities include all kinds of music, dance, poetry, magic, juggling, and puppetry. Kids’ activities at Community House culminate with an early New Year celebration at 8:45. Purchase of a button allows access to all events, and some events are free. Buttons and much more information are available on the website at rnye.org. Buttons and a printed brochure with a schedule and map are available at twelve Cape Ann locations. A smartphone-optimized online schedule will make it easy for attendees to navigate the event.
Buttons purchased in advance cost $15 for those over age 18 or over and $10 for ages 13 to 18. On December 25, button prices increase to $20 for those age 18 and remain $10 for ages 13 to 17. Children ages 12 and under are free.
FREE ACTIVITIES
Public Library
6:00 – 9:00
Roaming Railroad
Join us at Rockport Central Train Station on School Street in front of Rockport Public Library for a trip by train! Not since the demise of the streetcar in 1920 has downtown Rockport had train service. Not just a kid’s ride, the Roaming Railroad was custom built to accommodate adults, making it a true family attraction. Engineer Dan DeCosmo will entertain riders with comedy, train songs and inspirational routines like the little train that could. The train will make stops at some of the RNYE venues along Broadway, Mt. Pleasant St., and Dock Square.
All Around
6:45 – 9:00
Serendipity Stilt Dancers
Watch out for some Very Tall People! Serendipity Stilt Dancers connect to earth, rhythm, heart & sky in graceful high-energy dances, and you are encouraged to dance along with them. Weather permitting, they will be in the downtown area during the 6:45-7:00 and 7:45-8:00 changeovers. They will also be at Community House at 8:45 for the early new year countdown for kids.
Community House Outdoors
8:45 – 9:00
Early Countdown
For young families! Ring in the New Year with an early countdown beginning at 8:45PM outdoors at the Community House.
Dock Square
7:00-10:00
Stargazing- Weather permitting, the Gloucester Area Astronomy Club will have telescopes set
up in Dock Square from 7:00 to 10:00 for viewing of Uranus, Neptune, and objects
far, far outside our solar system — star clusters, colorful double stars, nebulae,
galaxies, and stars with their own solar systems. There will be guided tours of the
constellations, NASA educational activities and handouts for all ages. Learn how to
read a sky map and see how different types of telescopes work. Appreciate the
wonders of the night sky, and start the new year with a new appreciation of the
enormous and spectacular universe.
Dock Square
Midnight
Ball Drop
Don’t go home yet! Watch the ball drop and count down the last few seconds of 2022 as everyone sings Auld Lang Syne.
