ORLANDO, Fla. – The Orange Ball Drop lives after all.
Downtown Orlando’s traditional Orange Ball Drop on New Year’s Eve will happen Tuesday night in the Thornton Park neighborhood district, instead of on Church Street.
Local businesses Cavo’s, Burton’s and The Reindeer Room and Abbey Bar catering announced Tuesday morning that they are taking over the iconic drop, which will now happen at midnight on Washington Street as part of the Ring in 2025: Celebrate at these New Year’s Eve events in Central Florida.
[RELATED: Ring in 2025: Celebrate at these New Year’s Eve events in Central Florida]
The Orange Ball Drop was supposed to happen on Church Street, as it has every year, but last week News 6 learned the event was canceled because the bars that have hosted the spectacle for nearly 25 years have reportedly closed.
Church Street Entertainment, which runs Chillers, among other establishments, withdrew city permits for late-night alcohol sales last month, and the company cannot be reached for comment.
“So when we saw the announcement and we saw how disappointed everybody was, we reached out to Church Street Entertainment Group and they’ve been very gracious and they said they would absolutely loan us the ball,” Reindeer Room Owner Wendy Conner said.
“They got back to us on Sunday afternoon and said if you can get it down it’s yours,” Burton’s Thornton Park Partner Aaron Dudek told News 6.
The Thornton Park NYE Street Party starts at 8 p.m. and runs until 2 a.m. Tickets to the party are $35 at the door.
“This neighborhood is a real close-knit community and we love working together, we love providing the opportunity for our neighbors that live close by and even anybody that wants to come to visit, to come to check out this charming little area and our unique businesses,” Cavo’s Bar and Kitchen Owner Mark Cavallini said.
“Keep the tradition alive with us, please join us. We’d love to have everyone, we want everyone to have a safe and fun New Year and a safe and fun holiday so we’re excited for that.” There will also be DJs, cocktails, food vendors and “surprises,” according to the Burton’s Thornton Park Facebook page.
“So tonight we’ll have the street closed, we’ll have all of our customers, neighbors, friends come down, celebrate with us. We have a DJ, we have a stage and lots of fun stuff,” Conner said.
For ticket information, click here.
You can listen to every episode of Florida’s Fourth Estate in the media player below:
