FOOD, DRINK & NIGHTLIFE
Have a ball
Times Square gears up for
scaled-down New Year’s bash
BY DEAN MOSES
It wouldn’t be New Year’s
Eve in the Big Apple without
the sight of a falling,
glittering ball in Times Square
and the sound of thousands
counting down the last seconds
of one year to welcome
in 525,600 minutes of another.
On Dec. 27, four days before
the big night, the iconic ball returned
with a makeover. High
above Times Square, workers
painstakingly installed new
Waterford Crystal triangles,
which came with the theme of
wisdom.
“Each year we have a different
theme. Last year it was happiness,
this year it is wisdom.
And it’s important for us to
have wisdom especially in these
trying times as we forge ahead
and move forward,”Tom Harris,
president of the Times Square
Alliance told amNewYork Metro
as he oversaw the instillation.
The crystals are clustered
together in the shape of large
triangles backed by wiring that
slot into the sphere. The New
Year’s Eve Ball itself is 12 feet
in diameter and weighs about
11,875 pounds.
“This is the time of year when
we refl ect on the past. We honor
the present and we look forward
to the future. So today as we install
these crystals on the ball it’s
just a symbol of how far we’ve
come, but also how far we need
to move forward and there’s a
great deal of hope for the future,”
Harris said.
That hope also incumbent on
the mayor’s decision to, as of
now, allow revelers to join in on
the celebration despite Omicron
ravaging the city. If New Yorkers
want to see the ball drop,
they must be fully vaccinated
and masked up, leaving those
yet to get the jab not only susceptible
to the deadly virus but
also to missing out on the year’s
biggest celebration.
Over 15,000 people are expected
to attend, unless city
offi cials again change plans as
Workers Install 192 New Waterford Crystals.
COVID cases continue to rise.
“I’ve been working with the
ball for over 27 years and for me
I’m not a doctor, I’m not saving
lives, I’m not building buildings,
but when I feel that emotion,
and you know that you’re bringing
happiness and a feeling of
unity and joy to people, that just
fi lls my heart and that’s what
keeps me going year after year. I
love that I’ve been doing this for
over 27 years. There’s no other
moment like it when we’re all
PHOTO BY DEAN MOSES
counting down together,” Jeffrey
Straus, president of Countdown
Entertainment, the coorganizer
of the New Year’s Eve
event told amNewYork Metro as
the last of the crystals were slotted
into place.
What to know about the ball drop
BY MAC SORENSEN
Times Square will again
host the biggest New
Year’s Eve party in the
world on Friday night with
the famous ball drop to ring in
2022.
Even with a scaled down
crowd size amid the pandemic,
upwards of 15,000
masked, vaccinated revelers
are expected be in attendance
for the ball drop as
well as a star-studded concert
leading up to the big
moment.
Here’s what you need to
know about New Year’s Eve
in Times Square this year.
Later start time
The festivities will get under
way at 3 p.m. on Friday afternoon,
Dec. 31, three hours
later than its usual start time
to try and limit the crowd size
amid the ongoing Omicronfueled
COVID-19 pandemic.
If you want to attend, you
must present a valid photo ID
as well as your COVID-19 vaccination
card indicating that
you’ve been fully vaccinated.
Those medically ineligible to
receive the vaccine must offer
valid proof of a negative COVID
19 test taken within 72
hours of the event. All spectators
must be masked.
At 6 p.m., the Times Square
Alliance will light the New
Year’s Eve ball and raise it
above One Times Square with
an opening ceremony featuring
a Chinese cultural dance
performance from Henan,
China, organized by the Sino-
American Friendship Association.
Entertainment
Leading up to the ball drop,
spectators will get to enjoy a
variety of entertainment on the
Planet Fitness and Countdown
stages set up in Times Square,
with actor/TV personalities Jonathan
Bennett and Jeremy Hassell
hosting the festivities.
The lineup includes The USO
Show Troupe, performing songs
such as “Stand by You,” “Empire
State of Mind” and a military salute
to the Armed Forces.
Liza Koshy will also lead up
a “fi tacular” dance performance
presented by Planet Fitness, one
of the event’s primary sponsors.
Revelers will also get to enjoy
an array of news reel footage
from The Associated Press highlighting
the biggest stories and
events of 2021.
The stars will come out after
8 p.m. on Dec. 31 as part
of ABC’s “Dick Clark’s New
Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan
Seacrest,” with performances by
LL Cool J, Chlöe, Journey and
Karol G.
The 11 p.m. hour will feature
appearances by the 2021 MLS
Cup Champions New York City
Football Club, who earlier this
month became the fi rst New
York pro sports team in a decade
to win a league championship.
Singer/songwriter KT Tunstall
will also take the stage to
perform her chart-topping tunes
“Black Horse and the Cherry
Tree” and “Suddenly I See.”
REUTERS/JEENAH MOO
Where to watch
If you can’t make it to
Times Square, celebrate the
new year with family and
friends at home by watching
it on ABC, NY1 and/or
the Times Square Alliance’s
webcast, which begins at 6
p.m.
For more information,
visit tsq.org/nye.
16 December 30, 2021 Schneps Media
/nye
