FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) – The stage is set as South Florida gets ready to ring in the New Year.
Last-minute preparations were underway along Himmarshee Street in Downtown Fort Lauderdale for the inaugural “Downtown Countdown”.
“Once again Fort Lauderdale is going to come together inviting its neighbors, tourists, everybody from around the area is welcome to come and help celebrate the New Year 2025,” said Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis.
City blocks will transform into a free New Year’s Eve party starting at 4:30 p.m., Tuesday.
The family-friendly event will feature face painting, bounce houses, live entertainment, food vendors, and more.
And hovered right about the ecstatic crowd will be an anchor, which is symbolic of Fort Lauderdale’s marine life.
“The anchor, which is a signature of Fort Lauderdale being the marine capital of the world, the Venice of America, we embrace everything nautical. And I think the anchor certainly signifies what that is,” said Trantalis.
As the crowd countdowns from below, the icon anchor will drop when the clock strikes 12.
“It’s a 900-pound anchor made of steel and it has 5,000 lights, LED lights inside of it and we put that up yesterday,” said Todd Stilphen with the City of Fort Lauderdale.” It takes a crew about five or six just to get it up there and that’s about a two or three-hour process just to get the crane lifted.”
A massive undertaking, all in order for Broward to come together and celebrate all the good ahead in the new year.
“Helps us ring in 2025, so[blows noisemaker] Happy New Year everybody,” said Trantalis.
The street festival will go on until 1 a.m., Wednesday. For more information, click here.
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