PANAMA CITY BEACH — Ten-thousand beach balls are inflated and ready to fall from the sky during the seventh annual New Year’s Eve Beach Ball Drop at Pier Park on Wednesday night.
“We’re counting down for the seventh annual Beach Ball Drop at Pier Park, which will draw thousands of residents and visitors to Panama City Beach … to enjoy the largest celebration on the Emerald Coast,” said Michael Kerrigan, Pier Park director of marketing and business development. “The event has kind of taken on a life of its own and helped put Pier Park on the map.”
The event will begin with a family celebration at 5:30 p.m. along the Pier Park Boardwalk, followed by the first New Year’s Eve countdown at 8 p.m., which will be accompanied by a fireworks display and the release of 10,000 inflated beach balls that crews of volunteers inflated Tuesday morning.
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The night will continue with live music and a countdown to midnight, with attendees set to ring in 2015 as an 800-pound, lighted beach ball descends and a second set of fireworks lights up the Panama City Beach skyline.
In its seventh year, officials are expecting this year’s New Year’s Eve Beach Ball Drop to be bigger than ever before. In its inaugural year, the beach ball drop drew roughly 7,500 people. This year, Pier Park is expecting more than 40,000 to attend the event.
“Our restaurants will do great business all night and our stores will be open until 10 p.m. or later,” Kerrigan said.
This year, Pier Park also will be featuring a “Snow Zone,” with fake snow flurries for kids to play in, as well as 5-and 7-foot-tall beach balls for the crowds to volley. The night also will showcase an array of music, from teen sensation Alex Angelo to headliners the Celebrity AllStars, comprised of former members of several popular bands.
Dan Rowe, president of the Panama City Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau, which sponsors the event, said it provides a unique mix of fun for the entire family.
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“We have by far the most family-friendly New Year’s Eve event on the planet,” Rowe said. “It allows us to do something just for the kids that is uniquely Panama City Beach.”
Since the event’s inception, Rowe said it has really gained traction, drawing both locals and visitors.
“It captivates people and it really shows that Panama City Beach is dynamic,” he said. “It’s not just a run-of-the-mill beach destination ... and it’s a lot of fun.”
Schedule of events
- 5:30 p.m.: Family celebration begins on Pier Park Boardwalk, featuring activities and live entertainment by the Barry Fish Band and Alex Angelo
- 8 p.m.: First countdown with 10,000 inflatable beach balls and fireworks display
- 8:15 p.m.-12 a.m.:Live entertainment from Loud Planet and Celebrity AllStars
- Midnight: Countdown to 2015 with lighted beach ball drop and fireworks display