Uptown New Year’s Eve celebration to proceed despite frigid forecast
Mayor Steve Noble said the increasingly popular New Year’s Eve celebration in the Uptown business district will take place despite the forecast of bitter cold.
The trick, he said, will be to dress warmly, take advantage of the shelter provided by the businesses that will stay open late, and limit exposure to the elements as necessary.
The National Weather Service forecast for Sunday is for mostly sunny skies during the day, with a high near 14 degrees and northwest winds at 6 to 10 mph.
Sunday night will be mostly clear, with a low
around -2.
“I expect we’ll move forward as scheduled,” Noble said in a Friday email. “If the band is comfortably able to perform the full hour set, that’s ideal. If not, they’ll play an abbreviated set as it nears midnight.”
“Certainly all event attendees should use their best judgment, dress warmly, and take frequent breaks indoors,” Noble
added. “There are plenty of businesses staying open late and we encourage everyone to visit these businesses and enjoy the festivities safely.”
Noble added that even if celebrants arrive at 11:55 p.m. they will “enjoy a few fun songs, a magical ceremonial ball drop and a brilliant fireworks display, all within 10 minutes.”
This year’s Uptown New Year’s celebration will return with the city taking over as host of the event.
The festivities include a one-hour performance by
Kingston-based rockabilly act Lara Hope and the ArkTones starting at 11 p.m., a ball drop ceremony at midnight featuring a new ball made by Midtown-based Possibility Studios; and the fireworks launched from the Kingston Plaza.
While previous New Year’s celebrations featured a mix of free and paid activities, everything will be free this year.
Megan Weiss-Rowe, the city’s director of communications and community engagement, has said the city took over after a committee
of local businesses that previously organized the festivities inquired about the city taking on a larger role.
Shuttle busses linking Downtown and Midtown to Uptown will be running from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Kingston-based law firm Basch & Keegan will again sponsor the fireworks.
Even those who decide to stay home can enjoy a bit of the festivities with a new live broadcast from the event by Radio Kingston, the Kingston-based nonprofit that recently took over WKNY-AM 1490.