NEW YEAR'S EVE – FREE

NEW YEAR'S EVE – Free

To Usher in the New Year St. Bartholomew's Church offers the city a gift: William K. Trafka, St. Bartholomew’s Director of Music and Organist, will play festive works for this New Year’s celebration. Organ works of Bach, Sowerby and Locklair will be heard alongside transcriptions of orchestral works by Handel and Grieg. Trafka’s own transcription of Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man will be played at the stroke of midnight. St. Bartholomew’s Church, Park Avenue between 50th and 51st Streets, December 31, 11:00 PM, Free

Are you in the mood to take on a real NYC adventure? Chances are, even though you're a New Yorker, you've never been to Times Square on New Year’s Eve. Sure, you've watched the world's most famous ball drop – on TV – who hasn't? But being there is different: it's rich with atmosphere; it's iconic in nature; it's an invitation to become part of an electrifying history. Did you know, for example, that the Times Square New Year's celebration first took place in 1904? And did you know that the first ball actually "dropped" only a few years later, in 1907? Each year since, at 11:59 PM, the famous ball begins its descent as millions join in the count down to the final seconds of the year.

This year – on December 31st, 2008 – we will witness a significant change in the Times Square ball as we ring in the New Year. This new 12-foot geodesic sphere will be double the size of its predecessors and it will be covered in 2,668 Waterford Crystals, weighing almost 12,000 pounds!

It may seem ironic that this opulent sphere will grace our city during an historic economic downturn. It cannot escape being ranked among the extravagant decisions leading to this troubled period – by which our society will one day be measured. Still, it would be rude to grumble. This ornate symbol is a gift to the world, marking New Year's Eve – as Thanksgiving is marked by Macy's parade – through the generosity of those with noble visions. So lets join in the spirit and accept the charge to move toward the next year with optimism. See you at One Times Square!