BERLIN, Md. - The New Year's Eve ball drop in the town of Berlin may undergo a significant change as town officials consider reevaluating the event structure due to declining attendance during the midnight celebration.
For years, Berlin has hosted two ball drops on New Year's Eve – the first at 6 p.m. catering to children and families, and the second at midnight for the older crowd. However, this year's late-night event experienced a notable decrease in attendance, resulting in financial losses.
Now, town officials are seriously considering abandoning the midnight ball drop and exclusively hosting the 6 p.m. gathering.
"A lot of adults, if they would come for the 6:00 ball drop, would realize that the family atmosphere is very important at that time," stated Jerriann, who's been living in Berlin for years.
However, not everyone is on board with the proposed change.
"The whole purpose of the ball drop is to drop at midnight. It's New Year's Eve. It's tradition. It'd be like changing Christmas Day to the 24th because the 25th is just too busy shopping," expressed Greg, a local who lives close to the Berlin area.
The 6 p.m. ball drop this past year drew crowds stretching from Sister's Wine Bar up to Rayne's Reef. After the early celebration, the number of attendees dwindled to only about two hundred people.