New Year's Eve is Thursday, Dec. 31. Hoover bans aerial fireworks; New Year's Day trash moves to Saturday, Jan. 2. Glow Wild runs at the zoo to Jan. 3.

Last checked Oct. 17, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address; the dates below are for New Year’s Eve 2026. Facts come from the City of Hoover, the Hoover Police Department and each organizer’s own page, linked below. Restaurant and hotel events are added only when the venue announces them.

New Year’s Eve is Thursday, Dec. 31, 2026, and New Year’s Day is Friday, Jan. 1, 2027. The City of Hoover does not hold a New Year’s Eve event; its annual events list runs from the tree lighting to Celebrate Hoover Day, and no public midnight show had been announced as of Oct. 17. That makes the city’s fireworks rules the thing most residents need to know.

What this means for you

  • Fireworks: aerial and exploding fireworks are banned in Hoover. Fire Marshal’s Office: 205-444-7655.
  • Trash: no pickup New Year’s Day. Friday routes move to Saturday, Jan. 2. My Hoover Connect: 205-739-7311.
  • Schools: winter break through Jan. 1; students return Tuesday, Jan. 5.
  • Emergencies: 911. Hoover police non-emergency: 205-822-5300.

Fireworks at home

The City Council rewrote Hoover’s fireworks rules on Sept. 28, 2026, in Ordinance 26-2713:

  • Banned without a city permit, except at a permitted public display: firecrackers, skyrockets and bottle rockets, Roman candles, reloadable shells, aerial devices and anything that explodes.
  • Allowed only during the state’s fireworks seasons: novelties such as party poppers, snappers and wire sparklers, and non-aerial, non-explosive sparkling fountains.
  • No igniting within 600 feet of a church, hospital, school or enclosed building, or from or toward a car or people.
  • The fire chief or fire marshal can suspend sparklers and novelties in a drought or other dangerous conditions.

The full rules, and the July show at the Hoover Met Complex, are on our Fourth of July fireworks page. Ask the Fire Marshal’s Office at 205-444-7655 whether a product is allowed before you light it.

Things to do

  • Glow Wild: An Animal Lantern Celebration runs on select nights from Nov. 21, 2026, through Jan. 3, 2027, at the Birmingham Zoo. Check the zoo’s schedule for which nights over the New Year’s weekend are open.
  • Restaurants and hotels: no Hoover venue had announced a 2026 New Year’s Eve dinner or party when we checked. We add them here once they are on the venue’s own website; send yours through our contact page. Our date night guide lists places with late hours.
  • After the holiday: the Hoover Public Library’s 2026-27 theater season brings The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra to the Library Theatre at 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 10 (event page).

What is open and closed

Who New Year’s 2026-27
Trash pickup No pickup Friday, Jan. 1; Friday routes picked up Saturday, Jan. 2 (city schedule)
Hoover City Schools Winter break Dec. 21 to Jan. 1; teacher workday Jan. 4; students return Jan. 5 (calendar)
Hoover Recreation Center 8 a.m. to noon New Year’s Eve; closed New Year’s Day, on its posted holiday schedule; 205-444-7703
Aldridge Gardens Closed New Year’s Day (calendar)
Post offices and federal offices Closed Friday, Jan. 1, a federal holiday

Leaving town for the holiday

The Hoover Police Department’s holiday travel tips: put interior lights on a timer, set outdoor lights to dusk-to-dawn, turn on cameras and alarms, lock cars and take valuables out, tell a trusted neighbor your plans, hold mail and deliveries, and wait until you are home to post vacation photos.

Frequently asked questions

Can you set off fireworks on New Year’s Eve in Hoover?

Not firecrackers, bottle rockets, Roman candles or other aerial or exploding fireworks, which Hoover bans. Ordinance 26-2713 allows sparklers and novelties only during the state’s fireworks seasons. Questions go to the Fire Marshal at 205-444-7655.

Is there trash pickup on New Year’s Day in Hoover?

No. New Year’s Day is Friday, Jan. 1, 2027. Amwaste runs a day late, so Friday pickup moves to Saturday, Jan. 2.

Does Hoover have a New Year’s Eve fireworks show?

The city does not list a New Year’s Eve event among its annual events, and no public show had been announced as of Oct. 17. Hoover’s public fireworks show is in July at the Hoover Met Complex.

When do Hoover City Schools go back after winter break?

Students return Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2027. Monday, Jan. 4, is a teacher workday.