BUFFALO, N.Y. — The countdown to the New Year has begun. This Sunday, the annual ball drop is returning to the Electric Tower in Downtown Buffalo.
This will be the 36th year the Electric Tower hosts a New Year's Ball Drop Downtown.
The ball has 342 LED lights and weighs 220 pounds. It will travel 108 feet, which will take a minute and six seconds for the ball to travel down the tower. Chief Engineer Michael Kless said they did four test runs before 2 On Your Side got there, and everything was running smoothly.
"The strange thing is the most important person in this is the person working the switch," says Kless. He continues, "Their entire job is flickering the switch for the inside lights for New Year's."
The ball is owned by Iskalo Development Corporation and sponsored by M&T Bank. This will be the 36th New Year's ball drop.
There will be live music during the ball drop, along with a fireworks show. The event starts at 10, Sunday night, at the Electric Tower.
If you plan to see the ball drop, it's important to know there will be a few road closures around the celebration.
These official street closures begin at 4 p.m. and concludes at 2 a.m.
- E Huron / between Pearl and Ellicott
- Genesee / between Huron and Ellicot
- Main St. / between Mohawk and Chippewa
- Washington / between Mohawk and Chippewa
Set up will start around 10 a.m. with some intermittent delays, so city leaders advise drivers to avoid the area for the entire day if they can.
The entertainment district, which includes Chippewa St., will be closed from Delaware to Pearl from 1 p.m. on Sunday to 6 a., on Monday.