Look What's New for New York's New Year's Eve Ball Dropby Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger 28 Dec 2007 03:10 PM More than one million New Year's Eve revelers are expected to pack the streets around Times Square to witness the annual ball drop--nothing new about that. Meanwhile, more than 1 billion more people will be joining the festivities via the Internet or watching the event from the comfort of their own living rooms--nothing new about that either. When the ball descends down its pole and the numbers 2-0-0-8 light up, the crowd will go crazy, confetti will fall from the heavens and everybody will sing Auld Lang Syne followed by New York, New York--there's nothing new about that either. What is new is the ball itself. If you are headed to Times Square on December 31st you might consider taking your sunglasses with you. According to event organizers, a brand new crystal ball that beams twice as brightly as its predecessor is scheduled to slide down the flagpole at midnight on New Year's Eve. The ball will also be emitting millions more lighting effects than last year's. The new and improved ball was created to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Big Apple's ball-drop ritual. Waterford Crystal and two lighting design firms collaborated on the glitzy yet "green" globe that reflects "a marriage of technology and tradition," according to event organizers. As for the new lighting effects, the folks from Waterford Crystal say the 1,212-pound computer-controlled orb incorporates 672 crystal triangles and 9,576 LED lights that can project 16 million color combinations in countless patterns - yet the creators note it uses only the same amount of energy as 10 toasters. Something else new at the big gig involves the traditional confetti. This year--for the first time ever--the confetti will contain scraps of paper bearing personalized wishes for the new year that have been submitted by visitors to the Times Square Information Center or posted online. Which means if you filled out a wish your words could be read by hundreds of thousands of slap-happy revelers. If you are watching the ball drop from home (or you get to Times Square early enough) you will be treated to performances by Carrie Underwood, Alicia Keys, Lenny Kravitz, Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers. Still, the true star of the night will be the new glittery globe. According to event organizers, the sparkly orb is the fifth in a series of balls that have dropped every year since 1907, with the exception of the 1942-1943 "dim-out" period during World War II. Related Articles: Where Are You Ringing in 2008? New York Goes Golden for the Holidays New York's Most Popular Seasonal Activities Big Apple On A Budget---Remember the "S" Word New York's Must-See Attractions---The Empire State Building New York's Must-See Attractions---The Statue of Liberty Little People in the Big Apple: Central Park Zoo and FAO Schwartz Little People in the Big Apple: The Metropolitan Museum of Art Patriotic Travel Destinations-Taking A Cruise of New York Where To Get Your Chocolate Fix In New York Learn more about Michele Cheplic  Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism. Relevanttravel tags User Comments No comments on this article yet. Be the first to comment! Community Tags ball drop, new york, new year's eve, Times Square, Travel Discuss this article
|
Travel categories |
