The focus of the New Year’s Eve ball drop is four feet in diameter and studded with LED bulbs. It will descend from a device on top of the Old Storm King Theatre Building.
Brendan Coyne is happiest when he’s singing. So the Cornwall-on-Hudson mayor should be in good spirits on New Year’s Eve. He’s due to lead the crowd in singing “Auld Lang Syne” at one minute after midnight.
The music will start an hour before that with a DJ playing contemporary dance tunes from the top of the old Storm King Theatre Building — which is now home to The Trestle and Mountain Valley Guides.
At about 11:35 p.m., the mayor will warm up his vocal cords by welcoming the crowd. The DJ will play singalong music for about 20 minutes, and then break for the reading of New Year’s resolutions.
Have you been thinking about your goals for 2017? On Dec. 23, volunteers will leave “resolution buckets” in a few well-trafficked places in town. You can log onto www.thecornwalllocal.com to learn where to find them.
With two minutes left in the old year (11:58 p.m.), people will be able to cheer for their neighborhoods as the announcer asks to hear from residents of Duncan, Homeland, Grandview, etc.
The traditional countdown will go from 30 to zero, with a brand new ball slowly descending from a device on top of the building. Ray Yannone has constructed the lowering device. And Mark O’Keefe and John Vorlacher have created a ball that is four feet in diameter and studded with LED lights — a smaller version of what you might see at Times Square.
After the mayor and crowd join in “Auld Lang Syne,” the DJ will play for another 10 minutes and then the spectators will disperse. Unlike the folks in Times Square they won’t encounter any traffic jams as they leave for home or the next party.