- Multiple free events in Gainesville celebrate New Year's Eve 2025 with live music, fireworks, and family-friendly activities from afternoon into midnight.
- Starke hosts its first New Year’s Eve concert featuring country singer Clark Hill and other acts with ticket options from free to $55.20 VIP.
- New Year's Day activities in Alachua County include a pajama-themed parkrun, a car cruise along US 441, and a historic hike in Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings State Park.
- Shoot GTR in Gainesville offers a free New Year’s Day Range Day event with free entry, practice targets, and orientation classes from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Celebrate the end of 2025 and the start of 2026 with these New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day celebrations.
The events are mostly in Gainesville, besides a first-ever New Year’s Eve concert in Starke.
New Year’s Eve
Alachua Audubon Bird Walk at Sweetwater Wetlands Park
Time: 8:30 a.m.
Location: Sweetwater Wetlands Park (325 SW Williston Rd., Gainesville)
Price: Free with park admission ($5 per vehicle)
Join members of the Alachua Audubon Society as they take guests on a walk through the park while identifying the wide variety of local wetland and migratory birds in a premier birding hotspot!
Walks are offered every Wednesday at 8:30 a.m., starting Sept. 3 through the end of May.
Sparks in the Park
Time: 5-7 p.m.
Location: Depot Park (513 E University Ave., Gainesville)
Price: Free
Bring blankets and chairs and find a spot in the park to enjoy the last sunset of 2025, while a DJ hosts a family-friendly dance party throughout the park. At 6:30 p.m., the fun continues with a 20-minute musically choreographed fireworks show over the main pond.
Swing into the New Year
Time: 5-9 p.m.
Location: Cypress and Grove Brewing Company (1001 NW 4th St., Gainesville)
Price: Free
“Swing into the New Year with live trio Jazz Life! Enjoy a warm Italian dinner by Everyday Amore and raise a glass with us during our free 8 p.m. champagne toast. Ring in the year early or stop by on the way to your midnight destination.”
One Love Cafe’s New Year’s Eve Party
Time: 8 p.m.
Location: One Love Cafe (4989 NW 40th Pl, Gainesville, FL)
Price: Free
Featuring live music from Crooked Council and a sneak peek at the cafe’s January 2026 lineup.
New Year’s Eve Ball at The Wooly
Time: 8:30 p.m.
Location: The Wooly (20 N Main St., Gainesville)
Price $10 plus $2.09 service fee
“Join us for a night of celebration featuring The Jordan Mobley Jam Band and Jose Pineiro Trio. Make it in time for the champagne toast at midnight! Dress to impress—black tie optional.”
Tickets available online.
City of Gainesville’s Downtown Countdown
Time: 8 p.m.–12:30 a.m.
Location: Bo Diddley Plaza (111 E University Ave., Gainesville)
Price: Free
Performances by The Savants, The Jupiter Troupe, Now Leaving Space and DJ Hilt. Bring your own blanket or chair.
Starke
Clark Hill – Hometown New Year’s Eve Bash
Time: 7-11 p.m.
Location: Downtown Square (538 E. Call St., Starke)
Price: Free (general admission) to $55.20 (VIP experience)
The first New Year’s Eve Bash hosted by the city of Starke and Bradford County will feature homegrown country singer Clark Hill for a “stadium-level New Year’s Eve experience.” The bash will also include Stephen Barker Liles and Porter Martin.
Tickets, even for free general admission, are required and available on Eventbrite.
New Year’s Day
Pajama Party—West End Community parkrun
Time: 7:30 a.m.
Location: West End Community Park (12830 W Newberry Rd., Newberry)
Cost: Free
Both Gainesville parkruns (West End Community and Depart Park) will combine for a New Year’s Day run or walk with a pajama theme, though PJs are optional.
Asphalt Misfits of North Central Fl. 2nd Annual New Year’s Day Cruise 2026
Time: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Location: Starts at Sunset Delights (14651 US HWY 441, Summerfield) and ends at Ford’s Garage in Gainesville
Price: Free
Cars and drivers can jump in and join the cruise anywhere along US 441 or meet at Ford’s Garage, with plans to arrive around 11 a.m.
Garden and Grove First Day Hike
Time: 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Location: Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings State Park (18700 S. CR 325, Cross Creek)
Price: Free with $3 park admission
“Join the park staff for a Gardens and Groves themed First Day Hike as we start celebrating the year of our country’s 250th birthday! Participants will learn more about Florida’s role in World War 2 as Marjorie recorded it.
“Please wear footwear appropriate for hiking and bring your own drinking water and bug spray. We will start at the Historic Barn located within Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings’ historic farmyard.”
New Year’s Day Range Day Extravaganza 2026
Time: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Location: Shoot GTR (1610 NW 65th Pl, Gainesville)
Price: Free (not including ammo)
Besides ammo, everyone can shoot for free at Shoot GTR, including free entry, a free practice target per person and an hourly range orientation class. A range orientation class is required to shoot and held at the top of each hour.
Everyone who purchases a new range membership, renews their current membership, or upgrades from a regular membership to Elite Membership will receive 1 free Pro-Shooter class.