NEW YORK — About one million excited partygoers have braved the cold and packed themselves tightly into New York City’s Times Square, listening to performances from artists such as Idina Menzel, O.A.R. and Meghan Trainor before the famed glittering ball drops at midnight.
Thousands of revelers arrived early Wednesday morning at the Crossroads of the World to secure coveted spots with pristine views of the 11,875-pound Waterford crystal ball perched high atop 1 World Trade for the annual New Year’s Eve celebration.
“This was on my bucket list,” said MacKynze Slatinsky, 15, who traveled with her sister and best friend from Monroe, Michigan, to bring in 2015 in New York, arriving at 10:30 a.m. to land a spot with a view on 44th Street. “It’s really crowded and cold but what a great experience.”
Temperatures in the 50s just days earlier plunged to freezing as the new year approached.
Just hours away from midnight, the National Weather Service said it was 30 degrees in midtown Manhattan.
Ryan Seacrest was hosting the countdown show, with Taylor Swift, Florida Georgia Line and Magic! among the musical guests. When the clock strikes midnight and the ball drops, so will 1 ton of confetti containing well wishes for the upcoming year.
Best friends Allie Casertino and Melanie Catone traveled from nearby Glen Falls, New York, to watch the celebration, wearing extra layers, hats and gloves.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Casertino, 16. “We had to come.”
Security was tight and police say department officials said they started planning for the Times Square ball drop just hours after the clock struck midnight, ushering in 2014.
Thousands of police officers were on scene, with rooftop patrols and police helicopters protecting the crowd, along with the bomb squad and a unit specializing in chemical and biological threats sweeping hotels, theaters, construction sites and parking garages.
Police Commissioner William Bratton said there had been no specific threats directed against Times Square.
The celebration came in a city facing more demonstrations against police brutality even as it mourns the deaths of two officers shot in their patrol car by a man who vowed online to kill “pigs.” A march from Union Square north as close to Times Square as possible was planned for Wednesday evening. Police said they had prepared for protests and were on heightened alert. Since the shootings, authorities have investigated at least 70 threats made against police officers, and 16 people have been arrested.
But none of that seemed to weigh on revelers Wednesday night, who donned goofy hats and noise makers, jumping up-and-down to stay warm.
Agustina Bernacchia, a tourist from Argentina, said she arrived early at Times Square to experience the New Year’s Eve party she’d always seen on TV.
“It was a dream for us,” she said.
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