Staff Reports
The guitar is in the sky and it’s time to rock in the New Year.
Thousands of revelers are expected to pack into the west pedestrian mall corridor downtown for this evening’s New Years Eve Gibson Guitar Drop celebration presented through a partnership between the Niagara Falls Hard Rock Cafe and City of Niagara Falls. The climax of the evening will be a midnight countdown featuring a 10-foot fiber glass Gibson guitar that will descend from an 80-foot custom-made scaffolding system to ring in 2010.
Niagara Falls is one of only three sights to host a guitar drop this year.
The celebration will begin with an alcohol-free family themed event organized by the United Way of Niagara from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., featuring carriage rides and children’s activities. The event is being moved downtown from Hyde Park, where it was held last year as a final celebration to United Way’s holiday light exhibit.
The Hard Rock’s more adult-oriented party will kick off after 7:30 p.m. and feature a free concert by Canadian singer Rik Emmett, formerly of Triumph, and other local bands. Warming tents will be set up and selling food and drinks. A fireworks show will begin after midnight.
In addition, Snow Park Niagara Falls, located at 427 First St., will be offering free admission to its year-round snow attraction from 6:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. today. The Snow Park features snow tubing, miniature golf, ice skating and more.
The redesigned west pedestrian mall along Old Falls Street is located between Rainbow Boulevard and the entrance to the Niagara Falls State Park. There is no admission charge to get into the event.
