Cape Coral prepares for New Year's Eve celebration with road closures

CAPE CORAL, Fla. —

Cape Coral is preparing for a lively New Year's Eve celebration tonight with road closures, live music, food, shopping, and two ball drops on Southeast 10th Place and Southeast 47th Terrace.

The setup is already underway, with a stage and road closure barricades ready to be placed at noon for the street festival. The event will feature an early ball drop for kids at 8 p.m., followed by the traditional midnight countdown.

With large crowds expected, the city is asking people to plan ahead.

Several roads around the intersection will be closed starting at noon, including Southeast 47th Terrace from Southeast 9th Place to 11th Place, and Southeast 10th Place from Cape Coral Parkway to the stage at the Club Square parking lot.

These closures will remain in effect until 3 a.m. tomorrow. The entrance to the Club Square parking lot has been closed since Monday and will reopen on Friday.

Nearby businesses have shared that during previous New Year's Eve events, they brace for a wave of customers.

"With the ball drop, the bands, it's going to bring a lot of people," Graylyn LaChance, a bartender at Nevermind, said. "We're already working on the staff — making sure we're fully ready, fully staffed, our inventory is up to par."

City leaders emphasize that safety planning is a priority for events like this.

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