Bangor area residents are confused but curious to see the New Year’s Eve ball drop, a local tradition that is taking place in a new location.
A large beachball covered in string lights will drop from the Pickering Square Parking Garage in downtown Bangor to ring in 2025. The display, accompanied by a DJ and confetti cannons, will take place on the side of the building facing the Bangor Area Transit Center.
The event will mark a departure from the years-long tradition of dropping the ball in the center of downtown.
Last year, the ball was dropped off the roof of 6 Central St., home of Wabanaki Public Health & Wellness, for the first time. For 15 years before that, John Dobbs, owner of Paddy Murphy’s in downtown Bangor, launched the beach ball off the roof of his restaurant to ring in each new year.
Local nonprofit Downtown Bangor Partnership has now taken over organizing the event, and believes the parking garage will likely be the new permanent venue for the tradition, according to Betsy Lundy, executive director of the organization.
Robert Ostrowski of Bangor said he used to watch the ball drop, but hasn’t since he had children seven years ago. Though he isn’t planning on watching the event this year, he said he misses how the event used to take place in “the heart of downtown.”
The parking garage, by comparison, seems more removed from the bars and restaurants, where many people could be celebrating, Ostrowski said. However, he understood the parking garage could be an easier location to drop the beach ball from.
Craig Stevens of Bangor said on Tuesday that he plans to watch the ball drop, but wasn’t aware of the location change. When he learned the ball will drop from the parking garage, he questioned whether spectators would have enough room to stand in the area, as it has been a construction site for several months.
“It seems like they could’ve waited until after construction was over,” Stevens said. “It could be a bit cramped this year.”
Lundy said city crews will move some of the fencing in the area so people have more room to gather and watch the event.
Jen Ghergia of Bangor has worked at Paddy Murphy’s for 14 years and has usually worked on New Year’s Eve night. Though she has been mere feet from where the ball is dropped, she said she typically doesn’t see it because she’s “working behind the bar.”
Ghergia was surprised to hear of the ball drop location change this year, but not opposed to it. Instead, she’s curious to see how many people watch and how it’s received.
“I think it’s a great idea to try something new,” Ghergia said.
Regardless of whether the ball is dropped from, most people the Bangor Daily News spoke with on Tuesday were glad the unique but beloved tradition is living on.
“As long as they’re still doing it, that’s all that matters at the end of the day,” Stevens said.
