Breckenridge to host New Year's Eve plans in Colorado's mountains to light up the night

The state of Colorado continues to be in the top 10 best places to visit for your winter vacation, especially in the mountains, according to WalletHub.

With New Year's Eve only being a week away, families should consider going up to the mountains for some fun. Breckenridge is among the most popular mountain destinations, along with Frisco, Silverthorne, Evergreen, and Georgetown. Drivers can take I-70 to each of the mountain towns. 

GoBreck is the center for tourism in Breckenridge. The tourism department says for New Year's Eve, there are two iconic events visitors are urged to check out.

The first is the Torch Run Parade. Skiers come together with bright red flares to go down Peak 9, creating this really cool snake that wiggles down the mountain. This event starts at 6 p.m. on New Year's Eve. Attendees are recommended to watch the show at the Maggie and Beaver Run Resort. 

The second is the fireworks show. Hundreds of fireworks are fired off to light up Breckenridge and Peak 9. This event starts at 9 p.m. on New Year's Eve. Attendees are recommended to watch the show at the Blue River Plaza, North Gondola parking lot and anywhere on Ridge Street.

While watching both shows, you can dine and shop along Main Street.

"A lot of our shops are locally owned," said Kerry O'Connor, Public Relations Manager for the Breckenridge Tourism Office. "A lot of the restaurants are locally owned, so these are people who really live and work in Breckenridge and Summit County. Every visitor and every tourist makes a difference. It allows people to continue their livelihood up here."

O'Connor says Breckenridge is also known for fun places to ski, snowboard, and sled. The lack of snow is making it hard to fully appreciate those activities.

Right now, the occupancy in Breckenridge is only 55%. This means there is plenty of space and an opportunity to spend the night. All the fun can be found at GoBreck.com.