When you think of all the ways to celebrate the coming new year, chances are your mind immediately hovers to the bounty of parties being thrown across the world. From the east to the west, nations throw their own boastful celebrations and cities like Montreal tend to take top billing as the greatest party venues for New Year’s Eve celebrations.

But you’re traveling with family, which completely eradicates any of the late-night club events from your calendar. If you’re traveling with your loved ones, you’re going to need a family-friendly means of ringing in the new year. Though Montreal may be a party city at heart, it’s also known for its draw for tourists of all ages, meaning there are many family-friendly ways you can celebrate the welcoming of 2018.

For an experience that will appease both you and your loved ones, consider partaking in any of these eight family-friendly Montreal experiences for your New Year’s celebration.

1. Village Mammouth

• Location: Quai Jacques-Cartier, Montreal, Quebec
• Closest Metro Station: Champs de Mars
• Date/Time: December 21st, 2017 to January 1st, 2018
• Tickets start at: Free

Found right in the heart of Olympic Park, one of Montreal’s most coveted tourist attractions and former site of the 1976 Summer Olympics, will be a winter wonderland to enjoy the remainder of 2017 in.

Perfect for children and adults, Village Mammouth will encompass Olympic Park, turning it into a playground of frigid entertainment and a great place for a New Year’s celebration. Making use of the park’s skating rink and slide zone, Village Mammouth appeals to the youngster in all of us.

To ring in the new year, the village welcomes in a New Year’s Eve bash complete with high-end entertainment, delicious and local cuisine, and a firework show that ushers in 2018 with a bang. Village Mammouth makes it possible to enjoy every second of your New Year’s Eve celebration in one location, providing a hint of convenience on a day that can easy become hectic.

2. Montreal en Fetes / Merry Montreal New Years Eve Party

• Location: Quai Jacques-Cartier, Montreal, Quebec
• Closest Metro Station: Champs-de-Mars
• Date/Time: December 21st, 2017 to January 1st, 2018 / New Years Eve Party: December 31st, 2017 at 7 p.m. to 2 a.m.
• Tickets start at: Free

Montreal garners plenty of attention as a city perfect for holiday travel and a good portion of that may be thanks to events like Merry Montreal. During the holiday season, Merry Montreal takes over Old Montreal, turning the entire port city into an expansive party that celebrates everything there is to love about those last few days of December.

Merry Montreal invites musical talent to entertain the masses for its New Year’s Eve party and the large outdoor stage serves as the focus of the entire event. As the night nears midnight, a countdown to 2018 will commence, culminating in an explosively colorful fireworks show for all those in attendance.

At 7 p.m. on December 31st, the port and Place Jacques-Cartier will kick off the biggest New Years Eve party in Montreal. Come midnight, the city will come to life with a roar of excitement and the party will continue until the morning hour of 2 a.m. Fueling the New Years Eve bash will be a collection of DJs who only aim to keep the party energized and booming.

To keep the holiday spirit alive throughout December and into 2018, Old Montreal and Merry Montreal will be offering Outdoor Holiday films, karaoke, and many more family-friendly activities. These festivities will run until January 1st, 2018, after the year has finally turned.

3. Natrel Fire on Ice

• Location: Old Port of Montreal, De La Commune Street, Montreal, Quebec
• Closest Metro Station: Champs-de-Mars
• Date/Time: December 16th, 23rd, and 30th, 2017 and January 6th, 2018
• Tickets start at: Free

Ringing it the New Year is simply not the same without a big, explosive firework show! The city of Montreal hosts quite a few colorful displays, but the best is right in the heart of Old Part. Known as Natrel Fire on Ice, the evening extravaganza lights up the sky in a spectacular display that aims to be new and fresh for every show.

St. Lawrence lights up each evening as the show explosive show progresses to the sounds of recognizable local and international songs. Mixed with the serenity of the glistening ice that shimmers with each eruptive firework, Natel Fire on Ice is the perfect show to close out the year – and the holiday season – with.

Other firework shows worth experiencing include the display hosted at Olympic Park’s Village Mammouth.

4. See the Sights

Though it may be a holiday, the entire city of Montreal doesn’t just shut down until January 2^nd. In fact, whether you’re strolling about on the 31^st of December or New Year’s Day, there are many sights and attractions that are open to help you welcome in a fresh year.

Some attractions that remain open for New Year’s include the famed Notre-Dame Basilica and a multitude of museums, including the Montreal Biodome and Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium. To really keep your little ones entertained, the Montreal Science Centre remains open for many holidays, Christmas and New Year’s Day included.

To combat the cold, you can spend some time at the Montreal Botanical Garden, which remains open on New Year’s Day, as well as the Insectarium.

5. Skiing

It’s going to be cold, so you might as well make the most of it. While you can shiver in the cold or uncomfortably walk through Montreal in your numerous layers of clothing, struggling to enjoy some sightseeing, you also have the opportunity to use the colder weather to your advantage. If you want to ring in 2018 with a thrill, many ski resorts near Montreal remain open for the new year.

Even while people are enjoying their New Year’s celebrations in the city, you can travel to the outskirts of Montreal and Quebec to ride the snowy mountains. Some locations, like Mont Saint-Sauveur and Bromont, offer night skiing for a picturesque, evening thrill ride that anyone can enjoy.

Though Mont Tremblant tends to garner the most attention, other ski resorts near Montreal include the aforementioned Mont Saint-Sauveur and Bromont as well as Le Massif and Mont Orford.

6. La Finale

• Location: Old Port of Montreal, De la Commune Street, Montréal, Quebec 
• Closest Metro Station: Champs-de-Mars
• Date/Time: December 31st, 2017 
• Tickets start at: Free

Over 375 years ago, the city of Montreal came to be. On the concluding day of this milestone anniversary, the inviting city would love to host a grand affair that all – tourists and locals – can enjoy. La Finale is the conclusion of the 375th anniversary celebration, which features a host of activities and events including Cite Memoire in Old Montreal and Aura at the Notre Dame Basilica of Montreal. 

La Finale will bring to an end the 375th year of Montreal’s existence with a party that encompasses the beauty and excitement of the city. Ring in the new year by celebrating the greatness and incredibly history that imbues Montreal and makes it such an attractive city for outside travelers.

Revel in its artistic wonders, mingle with locals, and simply get lost in an event worthy of 375 years of existence as the clock winds down to midnight and 2018 rises over the horizon.

7. See a Show

• Location: 1909 Avenue des Canadiens-de-Montréal, Montréal, QC H4B 5G0, Canada
• Closest Metro Station: Lucien-L’allier station
• Date/Time: December 31st, 2017 at Various Times
• Tickets start at: $51
• Buy Tickets

Just because it’s a holiday doesn’t mean you have to spend it roaming the streets and looking for the best events. Sometimes, it’s nice to spend the hours leading up to the countdown to midnight doing something with culture.

The Bell Centre offers that opportunity on December 31^st with a performance of Cirque du Soleil’s Crystal. The icy performance piece mingles the expert acrobatics of the Cirque du Soleil crew with the frigid cold of Montreal for the perfect experience to end 2017 with.

8. Ice Skating

Should Village Mammouth be a little too crowded for you but you’re still looking to do some ice skating, fret not. There are multiple locations around Montreal that offer ice skating rinks, some of which are right in the heart of the city so you’re not too far from the New Year’s Eve celebrations.

Bonsecours Basin is located just below Old Montreal’s Marche Bonsecours on Old Port and may be an ideal spot for skating on New Year’s Eve. Park Maisonneuve’s oblong and lengthy track offers a unique skating experience while Parc Jean-Drapeau delivers on proximity to the beautiful nature of Montreal.

Beaver Lake, Atrium le 1000, and Parc St. Viateur also provide memorable experiences to end 2017 and begin 2018 with.