BUFFALO, N.Y. — Late Saturday night and into Sunday morning, thousands of people gathered in front of the Electric Tower to ring in the new year.
Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown took some time to reflect on 2022's hardships, such as COVID, the Tops mass shooting, and most recently a devastating blizzard.
"It's important that we reflect on all of that as we look forward, with hope and optimism, to a successful, happy, healthy and prosperous 2023," Mayor Brown said.
Buffalo's ball drop is the second-largest New Year's celebration in the state, just after New York City, where a man attacked three police officers with a machete at a New Year’s Eve celebration.
Some people opted for a quieter way to welcome in the new year with a midnight service at True Bethel Baptist Church on East Ferry Street. They chose to work through the pain of the last year together.
"Because a calendar day and year has changed doesn't mean it changed the hearts of mourners, of people who feel an injustice," Pastor Darius Pridgen told 2 On Your Side moments after 2023 began, following the service.
Added Pridgen, who is also the Buffalo Common Council president: "It doesn't mean it changes those who are suffering from COVID, or for the family who lost someone just hours before the new year. But what it does mean is we can, together, celebrate and mourn together as a community."
Pridgen joined the 2 On Your Side Town Hall last week to provide an update on blizzard recovery efforts. You can watch that video below.
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