Video by Jessica Leibowitz
Times Square pedestrians got an early taste of the New Year's festivities today, as the all-important confetti test was conducted from the marquee of the Hard Rock Cafe.
The Times Square Alliance hand-delivers one ton of colorful confetti to various office buildings for the climactic first moments of the new year. However, the confetti must pass an "airworthiness test." Based on the video above, it seems like this year's batch works perfectly!
NJ residents Samantha Matson, 13, and her sister Emily, 11, excitedly captured a bunch of the confetti in their overturned umbrella. When asked if they were spending New Year's Eve in Times Square, their mother Carolyn Matson said, "This is it!" and the girls confirmed they would be saving the colorful tissue-thin squares and circles as souvenirs.
Included among the New Year's confetti are ones submitted via the Times Square Wishing Wall (there's also a Virtual Wall):
Will One Direction even be a big deal in 2016? (Jen Chung / Gothamist)
If you are planning on heading to Times Square to ring in 2016, a.k.a. "Sweet 16," check out this FAQ, which answers questions like "What security procedures are in place?" ("Knapsacks and large bags are not permitted. All bags will be searched. Persons declining search will not be admitted into the area") and "When should I get there?" ("Revelers begin to gather in the late afternoon on New Year's Eve, December 31. The best advice we can give is to get there as early as possible. We cannot predict how quickly the viewing areas will fill up. Prime viewing areas may fill up early in the afternoon.").
