PRINCETON, WV (WOAY) – The City of Princeton is gearing up for their latest rendition of the Downtown Countdown. It’s a local celebration featuring music, artists, local businesses and much more.
Lori McKinney with the RiffRaff Arts Collective is one of the event organizers. She says this one has been reenvisioned to be virtual.
“It is all reenvisioned as a virtual broadcast. And here at the RiffRaff Arts Collective, we love to produce events and create traditions. For each one of our events this year we’ve created a broadcast. So it’s basically like a television special that’s just piped right into your living room,” McKinney said.
The Downtown Countdown has been an ongoing tradition for the past seven years. And although this one is virtual and not what people are used to, event organizers say it’s for the best, because COVID cases continue to rise in Mercer County.
“It was important for us to lead by example and let people know that it is more important to keep yourself and your community members safe than anything. We can enjoy connection virtually for now.”
Although this event is virtual, it will still feature all of the same acts that the community is used to. There will also be segments that check in on local downtown businesses. Another part of the broadcast will feature a history of the ball, which was designed by local artist Stefani Slaughter-Burchfield.
“A lot of the same features that you’re used to. Special music performances, the ice sculptor Frost Lion Ice will be carving masterpieces out of blocks of ice, there’ll be fire dancers. And of course it all leads into that epic ball drop and fireworks at midnight.”
The event will be streamed live on Facebook and YouTube for free starting at 7:00 P.M. on New Years Eve. It can be viewed on YouTube here.
