Family New Year's Event at Hammond Golf

About this party

Little kids and midnight don't mix, so Hammond Golf moves the countdown to the afternoon. The Family New Year's Event opens its doors at 12:30 p.m. on 31 December, with a seated lunch at 1 p.m. Kids choose chicken fingers, a burger or grilled cheese with fries and a juice or Shirley Temple; adults choose a bacon cheeseburger or a couscous bowl.

After lunch there's a dance party leading up to a pretend "midnight" with a balloon drop. The organizer's description puts that countdown at 3 p.m., even though the Eventbrite listing shows the event ending at 2:30, so plan to stay until about 3. Everyone gets the countdown moment and the youngest guests are home well before bedtime. Tickets are about $23 to $33 on Eventbrite with fees, and refunds are allowed up to 10 days before.

Hammond is about 40 minutes east of downtown Ottawa, so it suits families in Orléans, Rockland and Prescott-Russell. If the parents still want a night out, the same club holds an adults-only dinner and dance in the evening.