New Year's Eve organizers test out confetti drop in Times Square; Last day to submit wishes
NEW YORK -- New York City and people around the world are counting down to New Year's Eve in Times Square.
During the celebration, 3,000 pounds of confetti will be released at midnight. The confetti will contain thousands of wishes from people who submitted them at the New Year's Eve Wishing Wall.
In preparation for the big drop, officials from the Times Square Alliance and Countdown Entertainment held a test run at 11 a.m. Friday in front of Planet Fitness at Broadway Plaza.
"You've got to feel the confetti ... You've got to fluff it up. You've got to make sure it's going to float," said Countdown Entertainment President Jeffrey Straus.
It may seem silly to be so serious about small strips of paper blowing in the wind, but it's one of the most important parts of the night. So the Times Square team has to get it right.
There are a number of factors to consider, from wind speed to the right-sized grab from the bag.
Despite what some might think, the confetti doesn't shoot out of machines. It's hand-tossed, like pizza.
The paper itself is shredded from messages written at the Wishing Wall this week, with visitors noting their hopes for 2024. Some mentioned love, others world peace.
"People from all over the world have come to Times Square, and they're writing their wishes on the New Year's Eve confetti, wishes in over 40 languages," Straus said.
They will blanket the streets with positivity as the clock strikes midnight on Sunday.
"If you're here at midnight, you can reach into the sky and pull down someone's wish, and the amazing thing is we're all wishing for the same thing -- love, peace, a good job, a healthy, happy family. We're all one on New Year's Eve," Straus said.
On Thursday, visitors lined up for the 17th annual Good Riddance Day, where people write down what they want to leave behind in the new year and watch it burn.
The wishes ranged from the greater good, like ending war and intolerance, to more personal pledges, like saying goodbye to anxiety or self-doubt. Another central theme among was loss, both of income and loved ones.
The Times Square Alliance expects one million people to pack in to watch the ball descend to mark the year's end, along with another billion tuning in beyond. It's expected to be the biggest gathering since 2019.
