Inside Look at Times Square New Year's Eve Ball Drop Test 👀 🎉

Become a paid member to listen to this article

Yesterday, Untapped New York witnessed the spectacular test of the Times Square New Year's Eve ball drop in advance of this year's festivities. It was a fitting coda on this year's behind the scenes events which included a hard hat tour and crystal swap. This will be the last year this particular New Year's Eve ball will be used atop Times Square, which served New York City well for 17 years.

Workers from AMA Electric & Sign Company

At the test atop One Times Square, Earl D. Plumlee a Medal of Honor Recipient for his service in Afghanistan, flipped the giant switch to illuminate the 6-ton New Year's Eve ball, covered in 2,688 crystal triangles and lit by 32,256 energy efficient LEDs, up a 139-foot pole. The ball can display more than 16 million vibrant colors and billions of patterns to create a unique kaleidoscope effect familiar to billions of viewers around the world.

Earl D. Plumlee, Medal of Honor recipient

As the ball went up and down, workers from AMA Electric & Sign Company organized the cables. For AMA employee Nick Bonavita, this year marks the 25th anniversary of working the New Year's Eve ball drop.

Celebrating at the New Year's Eve Ball drop test

Other guests at the test included event co-organizers Jeffrey Straus, President of Countdown Entertainment, Sherri White, Executive, Jamestown and One Times Square, and Tom Harris, President of the Times Square Alliance, who was joined by Sarah Beth Reno, Senior Vice President from Carnival Cruise Line, this year's sponsor and a founding partner of the founding partner of National Medal of Honor Museum, which will open in Arlington, Texas in March 2025, and Chris Cassidy, President and CEO of the National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation.