Politics
New Year’s Eve Fireworks in the Parks Are Canceled
Because of the drought, the traditional celebration in Prospect and Central Parks won’t happen. Prospect Park plans a light show with drones.
Good morning. It’s Wednesday. Today we’ll find out why you won’t see fireworks over two New York City parks on New Year’s Eve. We’ll also get details on how Dunkin’ — the chain famous for coffee and doughnuts — will be onboard the Staten Island Ferry.
Credit…Jeenah Moon for The New York Times
Don’t expect to see the usual fireworks over Central Park or Prospect Park on New Year’s Eve.
They’re casualties of the drought. Officials don’t want to risk a stray spark that could ignite parched grass and dehydrated trees — especially not in Prospect Park, which was charred by a two-acre fire last month.
New York Road Runners, a nonprofit that coordinates a race and fireworks show in Central Park, said its “city partners” — City Hall and the Parks Department — had asked the organization to skip the fireworks. “We are exploring other festive options,” a New York Road Runners spokeswoman said by email. But the four-mile Midnight Run on the inner loop in the park will go ahead as usual.
In Prospect Park, the plan is for a light show with illuminated drones programmed to turn the night sky into a canvas for sparkly representations of landmarks like the Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty. The newfangled show will come after a celebration in Grand Army Plaza beginning at 10 p.m. on Dec. 31.
Update on the drought
Yes, it rained on Thanksgiving Day, but the average of the city’s seven reservoirs seems stuck at 59 percent. The one-day soaking last week pushed the levels a fraction higher than they had been, and they remain well below the 82 percent mark that would be normal for this time of the year.
