New Year's Eve is Thursday, Dec. 31. The Children's Museum's Noon Year's Eve, Ice on Main hours, free garages on Jan. 1 and what is closed in Greenville.

Last checked Oct. 16, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address. Facts come from the Children’s Museum of the Upstate, the City of Greenville’s Holiday Happenings and Ice on Main hours pages, and the Greenville County Library System. Restaurants and bars appear here only when they announce a New Year’s Eve event themselves. City questions: Greenville Cares, 864-232-2273.

New Year’s Eve is Thursday, Dec. 31, 2026, and New Year’s Day falls on a Friday. Greenville has no city-run midnight countdown or fireworks show, so the evening belongs to downtown restaurants, bars and hotels, which announce their parties in December. For families, the daytime events are the draw. Children are still on winter break: Greenville County Schools are out Dec. 21 through Jan. 1, and Monday, Jan. 4, is a teacher workday.

New Year’s 2026-27 at a glance

  • Thursday, Dec. 31: Ice on Main 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; libraries close at 6 p.m.
  • Friday, Jan. 1: city garages free; libraries closed; Ice on Main 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
  • Monday, Jan. 4: no school (teacher workday)
  • Hosting a New Year’s event? Send us the details

For families

Noon Year’s Eve at the Children’s Museum of the Upstate. The museum at 300 College St. throws a daytime party for children so they can count down without staying up. Its 2025 party ran on Dec. 31 with DJ PreK from 9 a.m. to noon and a giant balloon drop around The Climber at the noon countdown, according to the museum’s 2025 event listing. The museum serves children up to age 12. The 2026 party had not been posted by Oct. 16; we will add it when it is.

Skating. United Community Ice on Main at the Village Green next to City Hall is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on New Year’s Eve and from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on New Year’s Day, the rink’s hours page says. Each ticket is for a one-hour session. Rink: 864-365-4258.

Downtown on the night

Downtown hotels, bars and restaurants hold their own ticketed New Year’s Eve parties and dinners, and most announce them in December. We list only what a venue puts on its own website or ticket page; venues can send us their details. For year-round options, see our guides to live music and nightlife and date night in Greenville.

Going out downtown? The city’s garages are the simplest place to park, and they are free from the start of New Year’s Day. Plan a ride home: the Greenville Police Department’s non-emergency line is 864-271-5333.

What’s open and closed

Service New Year’s
City-owned parking garages Free on Friday, Jan. 1, 2027
Greenville County libraries Close at 6 p.m. Dec. 31; closed Jan. 1
Greenville County Schools Winter break Dec. 21 to Jan. 1; no school Jan. 4
Ice on Main 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Dec. 31; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Jan. 1
Greenville Zoo Closed Jan. 1 (zoo hours)
City trash and recycling Check the city’s holiday schedule

On New Year’s Day 2026 the city skipped trash and recycling pickup and ran a day late for the rest of the week, according to its holiday collection schedule. The page had not yet listed Jan. 1, 2027, by Oct. 16. City residents can also put a bare Christmas tree at the curb on their regular pickup day through late January.

What this means for you

  • No city fireworks at midnight; plan your own night or a venue’s party.
  • The best family pick is a daytime one: the museum’s noon countdown or an afternoon skate.
  • Park free in city garages on New Year’s Day.

More guides: holiday lights and Christmas events, the Christmas parade and tree lighting and things to do this month.

Frequently asked questions

Are there fireworks in Greenville, South Carolina, on New Year’s Eve?

The City of Greenville had announced no New Year’s Eve fireworks or countdown for 2026 by Oct. 16. Its big fireworks show is in July at Unity Park.

What is Noon Year’s Eve in Greenville?

A daytime New Year’s party for children at the Children’s Museum of the Upstate, 300 College St. In 2025 it ran on Dec. 31 with a DJ from 9 a.m. to noon and a giant balloon drop at the noon countdown. The 2026 details are not out yet.

Is parking free in Greenville on New Year’s Day?

Yes. The city makes parking free in all city-owned garages on Jan. 1, 2027, according to its Holiday Happenings page.

Is Ice on Main open on New Year’s Eve?

Yes. United Community Ice on Main is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 31 and from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on New Year’s Day.