Celebrations
Goodbye to New Year's Eve fireworks in Central Park: This is why tradition will be broken at the start of 2025
New Year’s Eve celebrations won’t be the same for New Yorkers, as the traditional fireworks in Central Park have been cancelled this year. Find out why.
2024 is almost over and people have begun planning their New Year’s Eve celebrations. New York City has been known to be the perfect setting to usher in the New Year, with its iconic celebrations of the occasion.
Aside from the countdown and ball drop at Times Square, another popular New Year’s Eve activity in the Big Apple is watching the fireworks at Central Park.
However, this year, the light show has been cancelled. Here’s why.
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Why there won’t be fireworks in Central Park on New Year’s Eve
Earlier this month, the New York Times reported that officials would cancel traditional fireworks displays in Central Park and Prospect Park due to drought conditions still facing the city.
According to ABC, the city has suspended issuing permits for fireworks displays and canceled permits previously issued last month.
“While hosting fireworks shows has long been a tradition in New York City parks, the unprecedented number of wildfires we’ve seen ravage our green spaces in recent weeks forces us to make smart decisions to help keep our city safe,” said Susan M. Donoghue, New York City Parks Commissioner, as reported by Time Out.
As for celebrations in Central Park, the nonprofit New York Runners, the organization that coordinates both the fireworks and the four-mile midnight run held on the park’s indoor loop on New Year’s Eve, told the New York Times that it is “exploring other options” to mark the start of 2025.
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Meanwhile, on December 31st, at 10 p.m., a light show will begin at Grand Army Plaza, followed by a drone light show in Prospect Park. According to ABC, the drones will move to form iconic landmarks such as the Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty.
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