With dancing in the street and the lighting of stars that will shine all year, Presque Isle rang in 2025 in a big way.
The Northeastland Hotel and the Aroostook Centre Mall hosted gatherings with live bands, while on Main Street, outdoor concerts and a party for all ages led up to the big countdown. At midnight, a star poised above the street was lit as a sizable crowd cheered.
It was the city’s first New Year’s Eve celebration in 13 years. Inspired by growing business and Main Street momentum in the past year, Presque Isle’s Downtown Revitalization Committee joined with several partners to host the star lighting bash. Two stars, one built by Northern Maine Community College students and the other a recent gift to the city, will be displayed all year, symbolizing a new 2025 theme and the start of a fresh tradition.
“Both stars will be here year round to usher in our new year and our new theme for 2025, which is ‘Thrive in 2025,’” said city digital media specialist Shawn Cunningham. “We want to sparkle and shine.”
About 12 NMMC welding and metal fabrication students, working with instructor Dennis Albert, constructed the three-dimensional, six-foot star in 2008. It was last used in 2012.
Organizers first planned to raise that star at midnight, but they realized it was too heavy to keep there permanently and could be unsafe for pedestrians and motorists, Cunningham said.
An anonymous donor built a new, smaller star with lights wound on a lighter frame to be hung over the street, she said. The original star will have a place of honor in the Northeastland Hotel’s Ignite PI window.
The evening started at 4 p.m. with Wonderland of Wishes at Riverside Park, hosted by the Aroostook Agency on Aging. As dusk fell, colored luminary bags with candles lit the walking path from the decorated gazebo to the splash pad.
It’s a new tradition the agency is starting that also draws attention to its annual fundraising appeal, agency Executive Director Joy Barresi Saucier said. Different colored bags represented different contribution levels.
“The luminary symbolizes a wish for the new year, and the light is the light that’s brought to help older people around Aroostook County,” she said.
People sometimes think the agency has all the funds necessary to fund its programs for older people throughout Aroostook County, Barresi Saucier said. But in fact, the 30 programs and services need community support to survive.
For instance, Meals on Wheels has many people on a waiting list for the service because of funding limitations, she said.
Each candle bag bore the name of a contributor. The agency hopes to see the luminary project extend throughout the park in future years.
A 6 p.m. fireworks show capped off the Riverside Park event, and then the focus moved to Main Street. Music by Elevate Audio and Visual got the party started, with hiphop and local performers.
The popular Star City Syndicate took the outdoor stage around 9 p.m.
At around 11 p.m., under fair skies and a temperature of around 30 degrees, the atmosphere was festive as around 150 people gathered on the sidewalk and around several propane heaters. The lively music inspired some to dance in the street.
Kevin and Wendi Malenfant of Westfield enjoyed the music from lawn chairs placed near one of the heaters. They don’t typically go anywhere on New Year’s Eve but decided to come to support some friends in Star City Syndicate, Wendi Malenfant said.
“It’s great and the heat is nice,” she said. “We were just going to come for about an hour, but it’s been fun, so we stayed.”
Just before midnight, City Manager Tyler Brown greeted the crowd and led the countdown to the new year. Cheers and applause erupted when the star illuminated.
Brown posted a new year message on the City of Presque Isle social media page shortly after midnight, calling 2024 a year of growth, resilience and community, and looking to 2025 as a year of possibilities.
“Together, we’ve tackled challenges and celebrated successes, proving once again that Presque Isle is not just a city, it’s a family,” he wrote. “Here’s to a safe, prosperous and joyful 2025 for each of you and for Presque Isle.”
