2010 New Year's Eve Events in Martinsburg, WV

Martinsburg, West Virginia is not a huge city, so it doesn't have all the bells and whistles and dozens upon dozens of events that the bigger cities offer, but it still has fun celebrations to ring in the new year. Surrounded by the rich natural forests and mountains, even though Martinsburg is officially a city, it seems like more of a rural area for me, since I just moved from Baltimore, Maryland. Baltimore had the Inner Harbor and many nearby smaller cities such as Towson and Glen Burnie, so we were never at a loss to find events in which we might be interested. This is not the case in Martinsburg, but there are some things to do.

Many state parks in West Virginia are hosting New Year's Eve celebrations. Twin Falls Resort State Park, North Bend State Park, Capacon Resort State Park, and Canaan Valley Resort State Park are just some of the parks offering parties. Most provide meals, music, and dancing with a champagne toast at midnight, and some also offer overnight accomodations. Check out wvstateparks.com for more information and contact phone numbers.

If a state park is not your idea of the perfect way to spend New Year's Eve (is it too cold out there for you?), check out the many local hotels offering New Year's Eve events. Bavarian Inn is hosting a more upscale party to ring in the new year with a four course gourmet dinner, music, dancing, and more; proper attire is required, including jackets, and tickets can be quite pricey! Wicked Jezabel will be playing a show at the Martinsburg Comfort Inn on the 31st starting at 9:30 pm. The Holiday Inn in Martinsburg has a popular bar and restaurant, but all the information I found points to no significant events at that hotel. Other local hotels in Martinsburg and Shepherdstown are also featuring parties.

If you don't want to spend the last day of 2009 in a hotel, there are plenty of little bars you can visit which have events ranging from DJs or live music to buffets and other specials. There are more than a handful of bars and lounges that will be getting down and partying hard, and most of them are at a more economical price than a weekend package at a state park or hotel.

Of course, there are always parties at people's homes. I was considering having a New Year's Eve party, but many of my friends still live in Baltimore, and most didn't seem incredibly anxious to travel to my home, so I fear I will have to find something else to do.

Martinsburg is very close to Hagerstown and Frederick, Maryland as well as Winchester, Virginia and other larger cities, including Washington, DC and even a little further away from New York City, but still within a reasonable driving distance if you don't mind driving a few hours, so if none of the above events appeal to you, you can always plan to take a short half hour trip to a nearby city to celebrate.

Sources

http://www.wvstateparks.com/calendar.html
http://www.journal-news.net/page/content.detail/id/513899.html
http://www.wickedjezabel.com
http://www.yellowpages.com/Martinsburg-WV/Bars