5 Activities to Celebrate Leap Year 2024

Leap Year 2024 is upon us. Which means an extra day to dedicate towards enjoying something that you, otherwise, might not have had time for. And we have just the activities and events across Opal destinations to check out on this bonus day, February 29.

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Never celebrated a leap year? Offering a rare opportunity to make the most of an extra 24 hours, it might be time to start.

IS 2024 A LEAP YEAR?

Yes. Leap year typically occurs every four years when an extra day – always February 29 – is added to the calendar year. Why? Adding an extra day every four years ensures our calendar stays synchronized with the seasons. Without it, our calendar and seasons would gradually fall out of alignment.

Nevertheless, because of this day, 2024 has 366 days instead of 365. Here’s a few suggestions on how you should use it.

LEAP DAY 2024 EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

“Winederlust” Dinners

Across Florida Opals

Who wouldn’t want to sneak a little extra high-quality food and drink into their calendar year? You can during one of our Winederlust Dinners held at various Florida Opal properties on the evening of February 29. A portmanteau of the terms “wine” and “wanderlust,” winederlust refers to the act of exploring and experiencing different wines from around the world – and precisely what these multi-course prix-fixe dinners promise. Created in collaboration with Jackson Family Wines, the owner of more than 40 wineries worldwide, each dinner showcases varietals from different wine regions around the world – including New Zealand, South Africa, France, and Italy – with each dish crafted to underscore and enhance the flavors of one distinct wine. It’s a bit like taking a quick wine tour around the world…without the need to leave the comfort and luxurious confines of our signature resort restaurants.

*Guests making hotel reservations can purchase the dinners as an add-on through our booking engine. For those not reserving a hotel room, the dinners will be available for individual purchase online.

The Q-Tip Bandits at Jimmy’s Jazz Club

Portsmouth, NH

“Contagious energy,” “infectious beats,” “soulful melodies,” and a “funky fusion of reggae and jazz.” If this sounds like your kind of music, you’ll want to make sure that on the evening of Leap Day, you find yourself at Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club, an intimate, state-of-the-art jazz club located in the heart of downtown Portsmouth. Because at 7:30 p.m., the groovy alternative pop-rock band out of Boston, The Q-Tip Bandits, will be taking the stage. Do not expect a sit-down show. Known for their ability to get people dancing, the band’s action-packed sets full of palpable grooves, smooth, soul-inspired riffs, and anthemic horns earned them a spot alongside industry titans Foo Fighters, The Lumineers, and Paramore at 2023’s Boston Calling Music Fest. The cherry on top? Being able to take in the performance within the beautiful century-old, state-of-the-art theater that blends an old-timey jazz vibe with a Moulin Rouge look.

• Where to Stay: Wentworth by the Sea

Leap Day Ladies Night at THRōW Social

Delray Beach, FL

Okay, so every Thursday – including Leap Day which falls on a Thursday – might be Ladies Night at THRōW Social, a 12,000-square-foot retro-tropical entertainment center just off Atlantic Ave in downtown Delray. But if looking for an excuse to get out with your girls, Leap Year might as well be it. Not just to take advantage of the steep discounts on specialty drinks being served up across the four bars, the Instagram-worthy space (think flocks of plastic flamingos, faux-grass walls, neon signs, and plenty of plush seating), or the cornucopia of games that include ax-throwing bays, darts, cornhole, shuffleboard, life-size Jenga, and more. But to also soak up the sounds of that night’s entertainment that will take the outdoor patio’s stage: Relentless, one of Florida’s favorite party bands fronted by a powerhouse female vocalist. Book one of four furnished cabanas set right by the stage and you have the makings of a memorable leap day party just for the ladies.

• Where to Stay: Opal Grand Resort & Spa | The Atlantic Suites on the Ave | Delray Sands Resort

The Best of Bel Canto at the Sarasota Opera House

Sarasota, FL

If you’re a fan of “Bel Canto” style operas – a sixteenth-century Italian singing technique characterized by beautiful, lyrical melodies, vocal ornamentation, and expressive phrasing – then you’ll want to secure a ticket to the Sarasota Opera House for February 29. That’s because Donizetti’s “Lucia di Lammermoor,” an 1835 dramma tragico (tragic opera) and one of the best examples of this opera style will be taking the stage at the 1926 Mediterranean Revival opera house. The masterpiece’s operatic highlight comes in the Act III “Mad Scene,” where main character Lucia – played by powerhouse soprano Ashley Milanese – descends into madness after being forced into an arranged marriage. Because of the vocal demands of this scene, marked by intricate and extremely fast musical passages, it has become one of the most famous moments in all of opera. And one you won’t want to miss.

• Where to Stay: Lido Beach Resort | Zota Beach Resort | The Resort at Longboat Key Club

Last Chance for Winter’s Dream at Fort William Henry

Lake George, NY

While Winter’s Dream has been bringing the sparkle to Lake George from Thursday through Monday nights since December, the interactive spectacle of lights, music, and video projection is soon to come to a close in March, which makes Leap Day a perfect “last chance” excuse for booking a visit. Set on the southern end of the lake, the multi-level multimedia experience transforms the courtyard and bastions of 1755 Fort William Henry into a winter wonderland of all sorts. You can make life-sized shadows on the light walls, throw plastic balls at an interactive screen, and wander through luminous light reeds. Concepted and constructed by Moment Factory, an acclaimed multidisciplinary studio known for producing works for artists such as Madonna and Billie Eilish, it’s quite the captivating fusion of artistic brilliance and cutting-edge technology.

• Where to Stay: The Sagamore Resort