Before midnight
For kids, New Year’s will come early at afternoon parties.
Ice skating, holiday light shows and carnival events continue this week in South Florida, and New Year’s Eve celebrations for families include daytime ball drops and more.
Our picks for the top family events during the holiday week include the following:
Zoo Lights, through Saturday. Snowman’s River boat rides, hot chocolate and cookies, photos with Santa and the zoo squad, holiday music and half a million animal-shaped lights from 7 to 10 p.m. at Zoo Miami, 12400 SW 152nd St., Miami. $9.95. zoomiami.org/Zoo_Lights_2017 Holiday Fantasy of Lights, through Jan. 1. Drive through 3 miles of holiday displays and illuminated trees from 6 to 10 p.m. nightly at Tradewinds Park & Stables, 3600 W. Sample Road, Coconut Creek. $16 per car; $3 for three pairs of holiday 3-D glasses. holidaylightsdrivethru.com
Hoffman’s Chocolates Winter Wonderland and Panthers in Palm Beach Ice Skating Rink, through Saturday. The free Winter Wonderland light display at Hoffman’s Chocolate Factory at 5190 Lake Worth Road in Greenacres is open nightly from 6 to 10 p.m. through Saturday. The Ice Rink is open Monday through Friday from 3 to 10 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 10 p.m. Skating is $15 per hour, skates included. hoffmans.com/winterwonderland Panthers in the Park Ice Skating Rink, through Jan. 7. Skate on real ice under a clear tent at the park at 32 E. Las Olas Blvd. in downtown Fort Lauderdale from 3 to 10 p.m. weekdays and noon to 10 p.m. on weekends. Skating is $15 per hour, skates included. nhl.com/panthers/community/ panthersinthepark Live Like Bella Nights of Lights, through Jan. 1. Enjoy rides, Christmas music, storytelling, pony rides and holiday treats nightly through Jan. 1, including Christmas, from 6 to 9 p.m. at 11000 S. Red Road, Miami. $5 per person; kids under 2, free. pinecrestgardens.org Margate Holiday Fair, through Sunday. Games, carnival rides, food, shows and attractions until 11 p.m. or midnight each night at U.S. 441 and Margate Boulevard. Fair opens at noon Saturday and Sunday and at 5 p.m. weekdays. $3-$5 admission; ride wristbands $25. margatenews.net Symphony Of Lights, Friday through Sunday. Enjoy light shows every hour on the hour from 6 to 10 p.m. in Champions Plaza at Gulfstream Park, 901 S. Federal Highway, Hallandale Beach. On Friday, enjoy a Family Fun Day with activities and an appearance by Frosty the Snowman. Free. gulfstreampark.com Garden Of Lights Show, Friday and Saturday. Decorations, a light show set to music and other festivities. Drinks and snacks available for purchase. Adults, $9.95; children ages 3-11, $6.45; ages 2 and under, free. 5-8 p.m. Flamingo Gardens, 3750 S. Flamingo Road, Davie. flamingogardens.org Kwanzaa Ujamaa Celebration, Friday. Pay homage to the fourth day of Kwanzaa Ujamaa, which means cooperative economics. Afrocentric entertainment and festivities will be celebrated through a variety of cultural activities. Free. 2-5 p.m. Bass Park, 2750 NW 19th St., Fort Lauderdale. Star Wars Weekend, Saturday and Sunday. Learn about the new cutting-edge technology of superconductors, plasma, colored gases and hologram projectors from noon to 4 p.m. at the Museum of Discovery and Science, 401 SW Second St. in downtown Fort Lauderdale. Kids can also build and launch rockets, and explore the planets
during the “Star Wars”-themed planetarium show. Regular admission rates apply. Mods.org Noon Year’s Eve at Miami Children’s
Museum, Sunday. Ring in the New Year (a few hours early) with a countdown to noon, crafts, a stage performance by the MCM Players and a balloon drop, confetti cannons and an apple juice toast. Doors open at 10 a.m. Miami Children’s Museum is at 980 MacArthur Causeway on Watson Island in Miami. Regular admission applies. miamichildrensmuseum.org
Noon Year’s Eve, Sunday. Take the kids for a free celebration in the Carousel Courtyard at Downtown at the Gardens, 11701 Lake Victoria Gardens Ave. in Palm Beach Gardens, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. with crafts, face painting, balloon artists, games and more. Free. facebook.com/events/372645829861244/ Noon Year’s Eve Celebration, Sunday. Science demonstrations, music and dancing, face painting, crafts, DIY confetti launchers and more from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the South Florida Science Center and Aquarium, 4801 Dreher Trail North, West Palm Beach. General admission rates apply. sfsciencecenter.org/event/noon-years-evecelebration Noon Year’s Eve Party and Sun Drop, Sunday. Ring in the New Year with furry, feathered and scaly friends at the Palm Beach Zoo, 1301 Summit Blvd., West Palm Beach. Get your face painted at the children’s dance party in the Fountain Plaza, and celebrate the New Year at noon with an apple juice toast and “sun” drop. Regular zoo admission applies. palmbeachzoo.org/noon-years-eve-2017
Rock’n Noon Year’s Eve, Sunday. Ring in the “noon” year with Young At Art Museum, 751 SW 121st Ave. in Davie, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Enjoy music, sparkling apple cider, and a countdown with a balloon drop at noon. Regular admission applies. youngatartmuseum.org Fort Lauderdale Orange Bowl Downtown Countdown, Sunday. Celebration will feature a variety of activities for the whole family from 3:30 to 8:30 p.m., including a kids countdown at 7 p.m. along Southwest Second Street from Southwest Second Avenue to Southwest Fifth Avenue. The festivities for kids include bounce houses/ inflatables, face painting and games, contests and dancing with the DJ. Free. The adult party continues until 1 a.m. fortlauderdale.gov/departments/parks-recreation/ special-events/downtown-countdown Delray Beach New Year’s Eve Celebration, Sunday. The free event starts at 5 p.m. with kid’s crafts, face-painting, a vintage game room and outdoor family games at Old School Square, 51 N. Swinton Ave. in Delray Beach, and ends with fireworks at 9 p.m. There will be food trucks, live music and a DJ. Free, but some activities, such as carousel, mini-golf and ice skating, cost $3. downtowndelraybeach.com/events/delraybeach-new-years-eve-celebration Neon New Year’s Eve Roller Skating
Party, Sunday. DJ Chris Harrell will spin tunes at this party for all ages from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. at Xtreme Action Park, 5300 Powerline Road, Fort Lauderdale. Skate rental is included in skate rink admission and fun neon props will be given away. Free midnight champagne toast for guests 21 and older, plus a projection of the Times Square Countdown Ball Drop at midnight. xtremeactionpark.com/events-details/neon-newyears-eve-party/