New Year's Eve falls on Thursday, December 31, 2026, and New Year's Day is a Friday, so many groups turn it into a four-day weekend. You can spend the night at a resort party or a concert in Jim Thorpe, or stay in with a hot tub and a big kitchen and ski on New Year's Day.
Most venues post their New Year's plans in November and December. Below is what we could confirm for 2026, what past years looked like (labeled), and the rules every group should know before planning a party at a rental house.
Events announced for December 31, 2026
These were listed for this New Year's Eve when we checked in early November. Times and prices weren't posted yet, so confirm with each venue.
- New Year's Eve with Hunkajunk at the Mauch Chunk Opera House in Jim Thorpe: listed by the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau for December 31, 2026, as a ring-in-2027 dance party. It wasn't on the venue's own calendar yet, so call the box office (570-325-0249) before you plan around it.
- New Year's Bash packages at Cove Haven Resort and Paradise Stream Resort, two couples resorts, are listed for December 31, 2026.
- Kalahari's family-friendly New Year's Eve celebration and a kids' New Year's Eve party at Country Junction in Lehighton are on the Visitors Bureau's 2026 list.
- Camelback's winter events page lists a New Year's celebration and a "Noon Year's" countdown for kids, plus a 21-and-over Club Camelback après-ski party on December 26.
Sources: Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau: New Year's ideas · Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau: New Year's offers · Camelback: winter happenings
What New Year's Eve looks like here (past years)
- Resort dinners: Camelback's Hemispheres restaurant has served a New Year's Eve buffet starting at 4 PM (2024: $69.99 for ages 13 and up, $24 for ages 6 to 12, kids 5 and under free). Watch its dining page for 2026.
- Special-occasion dinners: the Visitors Bureau's New Year's list includes the Frogtown Chophouse in Cresco, the Deer Head Inn in Delaware Water Gap and The Settlers Inn in Hawley. Reserve early.
- Indoor waterparks: Kalahari, Great Wolf Lodge and Camelback's Aquatopia stay busy over the holiday week.
- Fireworks and torchlight parades: we couldn't find a confirmed New Year's Eve fireworks show or torchlight parade at a Pocono ski area for 2026. Camelback holds its Torchlight Parade and fireworks at its February Winter Fest instead.
Sources: Camelback holiday dining (2024) · Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau: New Year's ideas · The Valley Ledger: February 2026 winter fests
Celebrating at the house: the rules
A private night at the rental is the most popular way to ring in the year here, but short-term rentals in the Poconos come with township rules, and hosts add their own. Breaking them can mean fines for the host and an early checkout for you.
- Age: in Tobyhanna Township (Pocono Pines, Pocono Lake, Pocono Summit, Blakeslee and part of Emerald Lakes), the person who signs the rental agreement must be at least 25. Many hosts elsewhere set their own minimum age, so check the listing.
- Guest limits: occupancy is set by bedrooms. Tobyhanna allows 2 people per bedroom plus 2, counting everyone. Tunkhannock (Long Pond), Kidder (Lake Harmony) and Penn Forest (Albrightsville, Towamensing Trails, Indian Mountain Lakes) allow 2 per bedroom plus 4. Stroud Township (Penn Estates) allows 8 guests in a 3-bedroom home and 10 in a 4-bedroom home.
- Visitors: day guests are capped too, at half the overnight limit in Tunkhannock and 75% in Penn Forest. Ask your host before inviting anyone who isn't on the booking.
- No fireworks: Tobyhanna, Tunkhannock, Kidder and Stroud townships all ban fireworks and floating lanterns at short-term rentals.
- Parking: cars must fit in the home's own driveway or spaces. Street and lawn parking isn't allowed, which limits how many people can come over.
- Fires and noise: in Penn Forest, outdoor fires must be out by midnight. Townships run complaint lines for noise and parking, and fines can reach $1,000 a day. Many hosts ban parties and events outright and set quiet hours, and community associations may add their own rules.
- Getting home: if you go out, plan a designated driver before you leave. Rides can be hard to find late at night in the mountains.
Sources: Tobyhanna Township Chapter 114, Short-Term Rentals · Tunkhannock Township Ordinance 2019-01 · Kidder Township Ordinance 2021-187 · Penn Forest Township short-term rentals · Stroud Township Ordinance 4-2020
New Year's Day
If the mountains are open, New Year's Day is a classic ski day. Jack Frost and Big Boulder are the closest to the Lake Harmony, Blakeslee and Albrightsville homes, and Camelback is about 20 minutes from Emerald Lakes. Projected 2026-27 openings run from about December 4 to December 12, depending on the weather. Lift tickets may be limited on holidays, so buy online ahead of time.
Sources: OnTheSnow: projected openings · Jack Frost Big Boulder
