Downtown Orlando's Orange Ball drop canceled
LAKE MARY, Fla. - The iconic New Year’s Eve Orange Ball drop in Downtown Orlando has been canceled but not for the reason you might think.
The event is held by Church Street Entertainment which operates about half-a-dozen nightclubs, lounges, bars, and restaurants along Church Street.
Downtown Executive Director Rosangela Parker explained to FOX 35 News that the cancellation was not due to a recent surge in COVID-19 cases, but rather it was the result of construction happening at one of the venues.
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Church Street Entertainment will restart the ball drop tradition again next year, she said.
Large cities across the world are canceling their New Year’s Eve celebrations due to the spread of the omicron variant of the coronavirus while others are forging ahead with their plans.
The iconic New Year’s Eve celebration in New York City will go ahead as scheduled but will be "scaled back", Mayor Bill De Blasio says, as party-goers will have to be fully vaccinated, wear face masks and practice social distancing measures amid the spread of the omicron variant.
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Other cities across the globe took a different approach and canceled New Year’s Eve celebrations altogether.
However, many prominent celebrations are still scheduled to take place including in Las Vegas, Nevada, where fireworks will be launched from the top of eight casinos on the Strip for eight minutes along with a firework show in Downtown Las Vegas.
Watch FOX 35 Orlando for the latest Central Florida headlines.