ORLANDO, Fla. – Crowds filled Camping World Stadium Wednesday night for the first of several large crowd events expected this week in downtown Orlando. The Cheez-It Bowl was played on Wednesday and the Citrus Bowl will be played on Saturday.
On Friday, thousands are also expected to gather in downtown Orlando to celebrate New Year’s Eve.
[TRENDING: CDC is investigating more than 80 cruise ships for COVID-19 cases | Can drivers legally move into an intersection while they wait to make a turn? | Become a News 6 Insider (it’s free!)]
Events are scheduled to be held on Wall Street and Thornton Park.
Zach Adams said that despite the omicron variant rapidly spreading in Orange County, he feels safe being out in public since he is vaccinated.
“[I] definitely plan on heading out there to see what kind of parties [there] are. Probably bar hopping from place to place. Probably be in bed at about [1 a.m.,]” Adams said. “I will wear a mask if I’m in very close proximity to a lot of people, that may be effective, but just walking around here, no problem.”
Hannah Singletary said she plans to skip the downtown festivities and have a more relaxing New Year’s Eve instead.
“I’m just going to hang out with my family because I feel like it’s safer with all of the COVID cases that are rising up,” Singletary said. “I think I take a little more precaution to some stuff, but yeah with everyone just kind of staying safe, like being mindful is really important.”
Most New Year’s Eve celebrations in Orange County sell tickets in advance and it’s unclear if any capacity limits will be changed due to the omicron variant.