A new, much larger ball debuted in 2013. The committee wanted it to look like a moon, and it did. The aluminum ball is 7 1/2 feet in diameter, and when it is suspended 90 feet in the air over the corner of Main and Washington streets in New Carlisle, it does look like a full moon.
The Ball Drop was canceled in 2020, but it’s back for 2021. The event is free to the public with no admission charges.
The party is easy to find. Just go to Main Street in New Carlisle and look for a giant silver ball suspended over the street by a cable from the long arm of a crane. It is 24 feet in circumference, and you can easily see it from more than a mile out of town.
Activities planned for the evening include free horse-drawn carriage rides courtesy of the Heritage of Flight Committee, music by DJ Tommy, demonstrations of ice sculpting, and contests to win cold, hard cash.
“We have money in different denominations frozen into small blocks of ice,” said Marshall Gorby, who is on the festival committee and who also works for the Springfield News-Sun.
Giveaways will include noisemakers and party hats. Other special items will be for sale, and there will be a 50/50 raffle
“We also are suggesting people wear masks. It is not something that’ll be enforced, just a suggestion, and we will have free masks to give away if someone would like one.” Gorby said.
Some nearby stores will be open for shopping. Hot dogs, hot chocolate, and cotton candy will be available for purchase.
“We will do some dances like the chicken dance and of course have the countdown to Midnight,” said Gorby.
A few seconds before midnight, the ball will begin to descend. When it reaches the bottom, large illuminated numbers of the year 2022 will show.
The crowd will cheer, couples will kiss, friends will hug and everyone will go home to get warm.
This truly is one of the most entertaining holiday events in Clark County and a fantastic way to start off the New Year.
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