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NEWS. ALL RIGHT. HAYLEY FROM MOUNT DORA. NOW WE GO TO ONE OF THE LARGEST CELEBRATIONS IN CENTRAL FLORIDA THAT’S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW IN ORLANDO. IN ABOUT TWO HOURS, THORNTON PARK WILL DROP THE ICONIC ORANGE BALL FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW. BUSINESSES THERE SAVED THE BALL DROP AFTER ITS NEARLY 25 YEAR RUN ON CHURCH STREET CAME TO AN END LAST YEAR. WESH TONY ATKINS IS IN THORNTON PARK RIGHT NOW. TONY, HOW’S IT LOOKING? WELL, IT’S PICKING UP. IT’S BEEN PRETTY STEADY HERE TODAY. NOW, YOU GOT TO KEEP IN MIND THAT IT IS CHILLY AND WE ARE TWO HOURS AWAY FROM JANUARY. SO THE FOLKS OUT HERE ARE THE EARLY BIRDS WHO ARE BRAVING THIS COLD WEATHER. I WANT TO GIVE YOU A LIVE LOOK. IT’S KIND OF LIGHT RIGHT NOW, BUT THEY DO EXPECT SEVERAL THOUSAND PEOPLE TO COME OUT. THAT’S SOMETHING WE SAW LAST YEAR. TAKE A LOOK DOWN THERE. YOU CAN SEE FOLKS OVER THERE HAVING A GOOD TIME. THERE YOU GO. GIVE US A HAPPY NEW YEAR. THERE WE GO. WELL, THOSE ARE THE VIBES. AND SHOUT OUT TO THEM FOR JUST HANGING OUT IN THIS COLD WEATHER. WHEN I WAS TRYING TO POINT OUT, YOU CAN SEE FOLKS HUDDLED AROUND THAT FIRE OVER THERE AND PEOPLE HERE. AS YOU CAN SEE, THEY GOT THEIR LAYERS ON AND THEY KNOW THEY’RE GOING TO HAVE A GOOD TIME. THEY’RE GOING TO BE AROUND OTHER PEOPLE WARMING EACH OTHER UP. NOW LET’S TURN IT ALL AROUND HERE, BECAUSE THIS IS WHERE THE SHOW IS. YOU CAN SEE THE ORANGE BALL THAT IS GOING TO GO DOWN HERE IN THORNTON PARK IN ABOUT TWO HOURS. IT’S LIT UP. IT’S READY TO GO. PEOPLE HERE ARE REALLY EXCITED. I HAD A CHANCE TO TALK TO SOME OF THE FOLKS ABOUT WHY THEY CHOSE TO COME OUT EARLY AND BRAVE THESE COLD TEMPERATURES, AND HAVE A GOOD TIME HERE IN THORNTON PARK. HERE’S WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY. THIS IS A UNIQUE PLACE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA WITH A LOT OF GOOD RESTAURANTS AND BARS. AND YES, LET’S CELEBRATE 2026 BECAUSE IT’S GOING TO BE GREAT. YES, 2025 WAS A GREAT YEAR. 2026 IS GOING TO BE EVEN BETTER. WE’RE JUST LOOKING FORWARD TO IT. WE’VE GOT SO WE’RE SO BLESSED. LOOKING FORWARD TO BLESSINGS IN THE NEW YEAR AS WELL. YEAH, SO BLESSED. ALL RIGHT. SO IF YOU CAN HEAR ME HERE LIVE. YOU SEE THIS IS A TON OF SPACE HERE WHERE YOU OBVIOUSLY CAN SPRAWL OUT HERE AT THIS POINT. ONE THING I WANT TO POINT OUT IS, AGAIN, THIS BALL DROPS IN ABOUT TWO HOURS. WE’RE HERE IN THORNTON PARK. THERE’S TONS OF SPACE. AND AGAIN, IF YOU WANT TO COME. THERE IS A LINE THAT IS BUILDING UP OUT HERE AS WELL. THERE ARE SOME PARKING GARAGES HERE IN THE THORNTON PARK AREA NEAR LAKE EOLA. YOU HAVE STREET PARKING. SO THERE IS A LOT HAPPENING WHERE YOU CAN COME DOWN AND REALLY TAKE THIS ALL IN. AND ALSO WE SAW UBERS, WE SAW PEDICABS. SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO DRIVE. PARKING CAN BE TOUGH HERE IN THIS AREA. BUT AGAIN A REALLY GOOD TIME HERE. AND WE’RE GOING TO STAY ON TOP OF IT. THAT BALL SET TO DROP IN A LITTLE LESS THAN TWO HOURS I’M COVERING ORANG
Downtown Orlando prepares for New Year’s Eve with Orange Ball Drop
Updated: 11:22 PM EST Dec 31, 2025
As Florida prepares to celebrate New Year’s Eve, the Citrus Bowl game between the Michigan Wolverines and Texas Longhorns is underway at Camping World Stadium, while Thornton Park readies for the Orange Ball Drop.Despite the chilly weather, Texas fan Karen Nunez said, “This is nice weather, it’s great football weather.” Felicia Hunt’s husband, Alex, forgot his jacket but refused to wear his wife’s team colors at the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl. “It’s a little chilly, but I got my coat, and I offered him my Texas, I got my other Texas coat, and I offered him one, but he didn’t want it,” she said.Michigan fan Jeremy Stephens, playing cornhole outside the stadium, shared his New Year’s Eve plans, saying, “What are you going to be doing for NYE? Probably catch the concert afterward and then see if we could find a good sports bar to watch the Buckeyes lose tonight.”In Thornton Park, the Orange Ball Drop tradition continues for the second year, organized by local business owners. Christian Waldron, manager of the Corona Cigar Company Downtown, hopes fans will visit after the game, saying, “Especially if their team wins, they want to have a celebratory cigar, and like I said, this is the place to be for that.”Cavos Bar and Kitchen owner Mark Cavallini emphasized the importance of a safe and enjoyable experience, saying, “We don’t want it to overexpand, it’s supposed to be an enjoyable experience and a nice safe spot and really highlight the neighborhood and our restaurant and bars.”By midday, barricades were set up on Washington Avenue, and Cavallini noted the increased security measures, saying, “We have a ton of police down here, we have EMTs and FFs, there will be some off-duty plain clothes walking around I’m sure, the security is definitely beefed up for sure.”Tickets for the Thornton Park New Year’s Eve party are still available online, with festivities starting at 8 p.m. as the countdown to the Orange Ball Drop at midnight begins.
As Florida prepares to celebrate New Year’s Eve, the Citrus Bowl game between the Michigan Wolverines and Texas Longhorns is underway at Camping World Stadium, while Thornton Park readies for the Orange Ball Drop.
Despite the chilly weather, Texas fan Karen Nunez said, “This is nice weather, it’s great football weather.” Felicia Hunt’s husband, Alex, forgot his jacket but refused to wear his wife’s team colors at the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl. “It’s a little chilly, but I got my coat, and I offered him my Texas, I got my other Texas coat, and I offered him one, but he didn’t want it,” she said.
Michigan fan Jeremy Stephens, playing cornhole outside the stadium, shared his New Year’s Eve plans, saying, “What are you going to be doing for NYE? Probably catch the concert afterward and then see if we could find a good sports bar to watch the Buckeyes lose tonight.”
In Thornton Park, the Orange Ball Drop tradition continues for the second year, organized by local business owners. Christian Waldron, manager of the Corona Cigar Company Downtown, hopes fans will visit after the game, saying, “Especially if their team wins, they want to have a celebratory cigar, and like I said, this is the place to be for that.”
Cavos Bar and Kitchen owner Mark Cavallini emphasized the importance of a safe and enjoyable experience, saying, “We don’t want it to overexpand, it’s supposed to be an enjoyable experience and a nice safe spot and really highlight the neighborhood and our restaurant and bars.”
By midday, barricades were set up on Washington Avenue, and Cavallini noted the increased security measures, saying, “We have a ton of police down here, we have EMTs and FFs, there will be some off-duty plain clothes walking around I’m sure, the security is definitely beefed up for sure.”
Tickets for the Thornton Park New Year’s Eve party are still available online, with festivities starting at 8 p.m. as the countdown to the Orange Ball Drop at midnight begins.
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