Times Square ball takes final test for New Year’s Eve

NEW YORK (AP) — The crystal-covered ball that descends down a pole in Times Square to ring in the new year was taken for a test run Monday, as New York City officials laid out their plans for the iconic New Year’s Eve event.

Officials flipped a switch to light up the dazzling geodesic sphere — weighing almost 6 tons (5.4 metric tons) and featuring 2,688 crystal triangles — which then successfully ran up and down a 139-foot (42-meter) pole atop the One Times Square skyscraper.

Monday’s rehearsal was just one of many pre-ball drop promotional events: On Sunday, fistfuls of confetti were flung toward crowds in the square in anticipation of the 3,000 pounds (1,360 kilograms) of brightly colored paper that will fill the air at midnight on New Year’s Eve. Some of those pieces will include wishes written by people ahead of 2025.

“This is the crossroads of the entire planet right here in New York City,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams said earlier Monday as he and law enforcement leaders discussed their plans for security at the celebration. “People tune in at different locations and celebrate as we do the countdown for the New Year.”

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said that although there were “no specific credible threats” to the Times Square celebrations, “the public can expect to see a tremendous amount of police resources deployed throughout the area and across the city.” Plans range from “dedicated pickpocket teams” patrolling the square to sealing off all mailboxes and vending machines in the area.

A New Year’s Eve ball has dropped in Times Square for nearly 120 years, with the exception of 1942 and 1943 when nightly “dimouts” occurred during World War II to protect the city from attacks.