So the holiday season is drawing to a close and you're searching for the perfect way to celebrate the beginning of a new year. In Rutherford county there are a host of options that will keep those angels on high singing long after the party draws to a close!
Where to stay
If a picturesque mountain cabin seems like the perfect option for your new year's festivities, you'll find multitudes of options in Chimney Rock, Lake Lure, Bostic, and Ellenboro. A quick search on the VisitNCSmallTowns website will offer up a number of fabulous options to fit almost any budget. Lakeside cabin with a view more your style? Check out the Lake Lure and Hickory Nut Gorge areas to find a number of charming waterside getaway hideaways.
If your journey isn't complete without the amenities of a hotel, motel, or bed & breakfast inn style atmosphere, check out the historic Esmeralda Inn, the Broad River Inn, the Chimney Rock Inn and the Riverhouse in Chimney Rock, or the Geneva Riverside Inn, the Grafton Lodge, and the Willowbrook Inn in Lake Lure. The Firehouse Inn and the Carrier Houses Bed & Breakfast in Rutherfordton are always great bets, and all offer relaxingly quaint atmospheres that will ring your new year in right. If you want to go even more posh, resort options like the Rumbling Bald Resort, or the 1927 Lake Lure Inn & Spa will help you bring in your new year in the lap of luxury.
For those that would rather watch the old year fade away from under a blanket of stars, campgrounds are plentiful. Try the Hickory Nut Falls Family Campground in Chimney Rock, the Foothills Family Campground or the Orchard Park Campground in Forest City, or Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park Campground in Bostic, and 4 Paws Kingdom Campground in Rutherfordton is always a perfect option if your four legged best friend will be ringing in the new year by your side
Things to Eat & Places to Be
December 31st may bring on the world's traditional new year's countdown clock, but Rutherfordton has its own way of doing things. Grab the kids and head to the KidSenses Children's Interactive Museum for their New Year's Eve Day Countdown to Noon Celebration from 10am to 12pm. It's a fun filled event with a crafted musical instrument parade, games, activities, goodies, and of course, a noon balloon drop (because midnight is past their bedtime).
The holiday lights displays ring in the new year brightly in Forest City, Rutherfordton, and Spindale, so if all you want for New Year's is a sparkling festive atmosphere, you can't go wrong in these foothills towns. Many of the restaurants and bars also offer special New Year's Eve events complete with great food specials, live entertainment and champagne toasts at midnight.
In Lake Lure and Chimney Rock, The Esmeralda, Legends on the Lake, and LaStrada at Lake Lure all offer New Year's Eve celebration dinner packages, and Burntshirt Vineyards has live jazz with an ala carte menu and their superb wine selection. The already spectacular view while dining from any of these restaurants is made even more festive with fireworks shows, so your most difficult choice will be which direction to look!
If a bit of bracing outdoor activity is exactly what your new year needs to be merry and bright, Chimney Rock offers their annual First Day Hike. Beginning at 8am on New Year's Day, join their park rangers for an informative hike through the parks history up the 3.2 mile entrance road. Participants are invited to return and enjoy the park's other trails and activities for the rest of the day free of charge. Inner polar bear got you searching for a Grrr-rific good time? Then the New Year's Day Polar Plunge is for you! The Geneva Riverside Tiki Motel & Bar will be hosting Lake Lure's annual new year's event on the banks of the Rocky Broad. Dive in for a fantastic time of bonfires, beverages, restaurant food and drink specials, and even a costume contest with your chance to bring in 2020 with a bracing dip in frigid mountain waters!
Whether you prefer traditional dining and champagne toasting, or unique outdoor thrills and chills, Rutherford county has just the ticket to make your new year one to remember. Don't delay! Make your reservations for a spectacular New Year today and start 2020 off with memories that will last a lifetime.
