The Last Ballroom Standing: The Story Behind New Year’s Eve in New Jersey

Sheraton Hotel Parsippany

Daddy Pop

New Years NJ Parties

How NewYearsNJ.com kept New Jersey’s Biggest New Year’s Eve hotel parties alive through 9/11, the recession, and COVID-1

PARSIPPANY, NJ, NJ, UNITED STATES, October 31, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- For decades, hotel ballrooms defined New Year’s Eve in New Jersey. The Sheraton Woodbridge, DoubleTree Somerset, and Sheraton Mahwah once hosted elegant dinner-dance celebrations that drew thousands. Today, only a few remain — among them the Sheraton Parsippany New Year’s Eve Party and the Marriott Hanover New Year’s Eve Celebration, produced by Jonathan Moore and Julian Romero of NewYearsNJ.com.

The pair has spent more than twenty years preserving what many considered a lost New Jersey tradition. Romero founded Majestic Entertainment in 1999, which became one of the region’s busiest wedding-entertainment companies, producing more than a thousand weddings a year. Moore, an event producer with a background in hospitality, shared his conviction that the New Year’s Eve ballroom experience could still represent elegance, service, and community.

“We realized the classic New Year’s Eve party — a real dinner, a live band, a proper countdown — had nearly vanished,” Moore said. “We weren’t interested in letting that disappear.”

Their first event, at the Crowne Plaza Somerset, drew about 100 guests through a Craigslist post. Romero’s band was scheduled to perform but disbanded weeks before the event. “I was the DJ, the tech, the lighting crew — everything,” he recalled. “We even bought televisions from Best Buy for visuals and returned them later. It sounds absurd now, but it kept the event alive.”

Each year brought improvement: better production, stronger entertainment, and growing attendance. Over time, NewYearsNJ.com produced New Year’s Eve parties across New Jersey at the Grand Summit Hotel, Madison Hotel, Hilton Embassy Suites in Piscataway, Marriott Bridgewater, and Westin Governor Morris in Morristown. Every partnership refined the formula — quality music, dependable service, and genuine value.

Today, the Sheraton Parsippany and Marriott Hanover parties attract nearly a thousand guests annually. “We’ve had the privilege of working with some of New Jersey’s best hotels,” Romero said. “The Sheraton and Marriott have become home for us.” Guests can reserve tickets or packages by visiting NewYearsNJ.com or calling 908-799-8294.

Entertainment has become the centerpiece. After years of managing production internally, Moore and Romero partnered with 107 Productions, which now curates live acts for both hotels. High-energy New Jersey bands such as Daddy Pop and Audio Riot headline the celebrations. “Our guests expect a show, not background music,” Romero noted. “When the first song hits and the room lights up, that’s when you know you’ve done your job.”

Dining is equally important. Each year, the producers collaborate with hotel executive chefs to craft seasonal menus that balance variety and value — hallmarks of New Jersey hospitality. “We can’t offer a five-course black-tie dinner,” Moore said, “but every plate is intentional and well-prepared. New Jersey diners know quality, and we make sure they get it.”

Most attendees are over fifty — guests who remember the ballroom era and appreciate its return. Many now bring their adult children or teenagers, creating multigenerational gatherings. “We allow minors at the Sheraton Parsippany when accompanied by parents,” Romero explained. “It’s become a family tradition. Watching younger guests experience a live band and a real countdown connects them to something timeless.”

The operation has endured nearly every challenge the events industry can face — 9/11, the 2008 financial crisis, and the 2020 pandemic that forced the first cancellation in more than fifteen years. “When we came back in 2021, even with the Omicron wave, people returned,” Moore said. “They needed that night.”

Now, as attendance climbs back to record levels, NewYearsNJ.com stands as one of the few organizations still producing full-scale New Year’s Eve hotel parties in New Jersey, linking the state’s hospitality heritage with a modern audience. “We’re not chasing trends,” Romero said. “We’re protecting a tradition. As long as people still want that sense of occasion, we’ll be here.”

From a small Somerset ballroom to two of Morris County’s grandest hotels, Moore and Romero have built more than an event — they’ve safeguarded a piece of New Jersey’s New Year’s Eve history.

About NewYearsNJ.com
Founded by event producers Jonathan Moore and Julian Romero, NewYearsNJ.com has presented upscale New Year’s Eve hotel parties in New Jersey for nearly two decades. Its signature celebrations — at the Sheraton Parsippany and Marriott Hanover — feature live entertainment, fine dining, and overnight packages for an elegant, secure holiday experience. Romero is also the founder of Majestic Entertainment, established in 1999 and once responsible for more than 1,000 weddings annually.

Media Contact:
NewYearsNJ.com
📧 info@newyearsnj.com
  📞 908-799-8294  🌐 www.NewYearsNJ.com

Jonathan Moore
New Years NJ
+1 908-799-8294
email us here

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