Downtown Fort Myers gears up for big New Year's Eve celebration

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Downtown Fort Myers is gearing up for its annual New Year's Eve celebration, a tradition that draws thousands to the River District each year. Preparations are already underway for the big event.

Brenda, a New York native, shared her excitement for the ball drop downtown.

"I'm just looking forward to the ball drop because I'm from New York, and I'm super excited to see the ball drop downtown," she said.

This celebration has been a downtown tradition for more than a decade and continues to grow.

"It's been over a decade that the River District Alliance has been doing New Year's Eve, and it just keeps growing and growing and more and more people like it," said Lisa Sbuttoni, president and CEO of the River District Alliance.

The event attracts both locals and visitors from across Southwest Florida.

"It's honestly just a great moment to have with your family and friends and just to be around all these wonderful people," said Camren Harrell.

Organizers say the event is like no other.

"It's just kind of crazy. We have five different performance stages. We have our old favorites, we have new performers, and then at midnight, we have this great ball drop and a few fireworks," said Sbuttoni.

Businesses in the area anticipate their busiest night of the year.

"Well, I'm looking forward to the crowd. It's always a good time. It's packed down here. We stay open late till one o'clock in the morning. So, you know, we love to have the big business and everyone. It's a great time," said Tricia Davis, owner of Scoops on First.

One longtime resident, Tom Schiev, is ready to celebrate his 16th New Year's Eve in downtown Fort Myers.

"The best part is, like everybody wants to see the ball dropping on New Year's Eve, that's all we could expect to start a new year over, and hope we would better than the one we just had," he said.

Streets will close to traffic starting at noon to accommodate the festivities. Organizers emphasize that the entire event is free and open to the public, making downtown Fort Myers the place to be as the new year begins.