Thursday, Dec 31, 2026 · checked October 21, 2026
New Year's Eve in Northwest Arkansas, 2026
New Year's Eve is a Thursday this year. What's posted so far for Dec 31, 2026: Eureka Springs' free Bash with a Splash downtown (8 PM–12:15 AM, Water Drop at midnight), Downtown Bentonville Inc.'s New Year's Eve party (8 PM–12:30 AM), two Arkansauce and Full House shows at George's on Dickson Street, and the Amazeum's daytime countdown for kids. Times and prices are from each host's own page; we add the rest as they post.
Orange pins and badges are open this weekend, from each place's posted schedule.
The essentials
Good to know
- The night
- Thursday, Dec 31, 2026. New Year's Day is Friday, Jan 1, 2027, so most offices and many museums close that day.
- Lights
- Fayetteville's Lights of the Ozarks stay on until 1 AM on New Year's Eve, their last night of the season. The Light Show NWA drive-through runs through Jan 2.
- Razorback basketball
- No home game on Dec 31 or Jan 1. The men play at Bud Walton Arena Tue Dec 29 (7 PM, UTRGV) and Sat Jan 2 (3 PM, Missouri); the women are at Vanderbilt on New Year's Eve and home Sun Jan 3 (1 PM, Florida).
- Not posted yet
- Walton Arts Center, TheatreSquared, Crystal Bridges, the Momentary, the downtowns of Fayetteville, Rogers and Springdale, and the hotels haven't posted 2026 New Year's Eve events. We check weekly.
New Year's Eve in Eureka Springs
The biggest public New Year's Eve party in the region, and it's free.
- Opens Dec 31Family-friendly
New Year's Eve street party (free)
Bash with a Splash
Basin Spring Park and downtown, 4 Spring St, Eureka Springs
- When:
- Thursday, Dec 31, 2026, 8 PM – 12:15 AM
- Hours:
- Carnival-style parade through downtown at 8:30 PM · the Water Drop at midnight
- Route:
- Free Park & Ride, 7 PM–12:30 AM, from Pine Mountain Village, Hart's, the Transit Welcome Center, the Community Center, Planer Hill and the railway depot to the downtown trolley depot
- What's there:
- Live music, a laser light show, pop-up performances and food trucks, and a Bash with a Splash pub crawl through the bars. The Water Drop is Eureka's take on the ball drop.
- Opens Dec 31
Early NYE show (free)
New Year's Eve with March to August at Gotahold Brewing
Gotahold Brewing, 409 W Van Buren, Eureka Springs
- When:
- Thursday, Dec 31, 2026, 5–7:30 PM
- Admission:
- Free
New Year's Eve in Bentonville
- Opens Dec 31
New Year's Eve party (Downtown Bentonville Inc.)
DBI's New Year's Eve
Downtown Bentonville
- When:
- Thursday, Dec 31, 2026, 8 PM – 12:30 AM
- What's there:
- "Dance in the new year," per DBI. The 2026 venue, tickets and price aren't posted yet.
- Opens Dec 31Family-friendly
Daytime family countdown
Zing in the New Year at the Amazeum
Scott Family Amazeum, 1009 Museum Way, Bentonville
- When:
- Thursday, Dec 31, 2026, 10 AM – 3 PM
- Hours:
- Countdown and confetti drop at 3 PM (not noon)
- Admission:
- Included with admission ($17, ages 2 and up); members and kids under 2 free
- What's there:
- A New Year's countdown for kids who won't make it to midnight
- Opens Nov 19Family-friendly
Light and sound installations
Winter Lights at Crystal Bridges
Ozark Discovery Canopy, Crystal Bridges, 600 Museum Way, Bentonville
- When:
- Nov 19, 2026 – Jan 2, 2027, Thursday–Saturday, 5–9 PM
- Admission:
- $10; $25 for families or groups of three or more
- What's there:
- Not a New Year's Eve event, but Dec 31 is a Thursday and the season runs through Jan 2. The museum lists holiday closures, so check New Year's Eve before you go.
New Year's Eve in Fayetteville
No downtown-wide party is posted for 2026. Dickson Street's shows are the ones on sale.
- Opens Dec 31
New Year's Eve concert, George's Majestic Lounge
Arkansauce NYE Night Two with Shakedown Strings
George's Majestic Lounge, 519 W Dickson St, Fayetteville
- When:
- Thursday, Dec 31, 2026, 8 PM (doors 7 PM)
- Admission:
- $25–30; a two-night pass for Dec 30 and 31 is $40
- Opens Dec 31
Early New Year's Eve show, George's Majestic Lounge
Full House NYE Happy Hour
George's Majestic Lounge, 519 W Dickson St, Fayetteville
- When:
- Thursday, Dec 31, 2026, 6 PM (doors 5 PM)
- Admission:
- $15–18
- Family-friendly
Downtown lights (free)
Lights of the Ozarks, last night
Historic Downtown Square, Fayetteville
- When:
- On until 1 AM into Jan 1, 2027, then they go dark for the season
- Admission:
- Free
Call ahead
These come up in older roundups, but nothing official confirms a 2026 season yet.
- Crystal Bridges' Noon Year's Eve. Search results mention one in past years, but the museum's calendar has nothing for Dec 31, 2026 yet.
- Rogers and Springdale. Neither downtown has posted a 2026 New Year's Eve event. Rogers' and Springdale's holiday events are in our Christmas guides.
Quick answers
- What is there to do on New Year's Eve in Northwest Arkansas?
- As of Oct 21: Eureka Springs' free Bash with a Splash (8 PM–12:15 AM, Water Drop at midnight), Downtown Bentonville Inc.'s party (8 PM–12:30 AM), Arkansauce at George's in Fayetteville (8 PM, $25–30), and the Amazeum's family countdown at 3 PM.
- What time is the Eureka Springs New Year's Eve water drop?
- Midnight. Bash with a Splash runs 8 PM–12:15 AM on Thursday, Dec 31, 2026, with a carnival-style parade at 8:30 PM and free Park & Ride from 7 PM.
- Is there a New Year's Eve party in downtown Bentonville?
- Yes: DBI's New Year's Eve, Thursday, Dec 31, 2026, 8 PM–12:30 AM. Downtown Bentonville Inc. hasn't posted the venue or ticket price yet.
- What's on in Fayetteville for New Year's Eve 2026?
- George's Majestic Lounge has Full House at 6 PM ($15–18) and Arkansauce with Shakedown Strings at 8 PM ($25–30), and the Lights of the Ozarks stay on until 1 AM.
- Is there a noon New Year's Eve for kids in NWA?
- The Amazeum's Zing in the New Year runs 10 AM–3 PM on Dec 31, with the countdown and confetti drop at 3 PM. It's included with admission ($17) and free for members.
Dates, hours and prices are as each business posted them on October 21, 2026, and they change. Spot something out of date, or run one we missed? Tell us.
Nobody paid to be on this list. Inclusion is editorial.