A turtle, 600-pound cherry and a ‘chook.’ How Michigan rings in New Year
- Cities plan to welcome 2025 in some uniquely Michigan ways
- Revelers will drop everything from a giant cherry in Traverse City to a glittering turtle on Mackinac Island
- Ludington’s ball drop ranked first on USA Today's 10Best Readers’ Choice award for ‘Best New Year’s Eve Ball Drop’
There’s no need to travel to Times Square to witness a dazzling ball drop to ring in the new year.
Michigan is home to one of the nation’s best New Year’s Eve ball drops, in Ludington. And elsewhere in the state you can witness other spectacular “drops,” from a bedazzled 600-pound cherry in Traverse City to a giant winter cap in Houghton.
Tops in the US
Ludington won Best New Year’s Eve Ball Drop in USA Today's 2024 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards. Readers put the Times Square Ball Drop in 10th place.
“We are ecstatic to be recognized nationally for this honor, and we encourage everyone to come to Ludington later this month to experience the best ball drop firsthand!” said Brandy Miller, executive director of the Ludington Area Convention & Visitors Bureau in a press statement.
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The main event begins at 9 p.m. on Ludington Avenue where there will be beer and music. The ball drops at midnight at the intersection of Ludington Avenue and James Street, followed by a firework display over downtown.
“We’re the antithesis of Times Square, with all the fun and festivities but without the hassle. And we’re only a 90-minute drive from Grand Rapids and four hours from Detroit and Chicago via expressway. We’re a convenient getaway,” Miller said.
Other New Year’s Eve celebrations in Michigan
Cities across the state, from Houghton to Detroit, will host New Year’s Eve celebrations. Here are a few:
- Visit Keweenaw and the City of Houghton are hosting the Houghton New Year’s Eve Chook Drop, an homage to the iconic “Yooper-style” fleece winter cap, on the Portage Canal. It starts with an “early drop” at 6:30 p.m. for families with children. For the night crowd, the gathering begins at 11:30 p.m.
- For the 14th year in a row, Traverse City, known as the cherry capital of the world, will be home to the CherryT Ball Drop. The event starts at 10:30 p.m. and features a 600-pound cherry descending into the city, along with fireworks.
- Allegan lays claim to the state’s largest New Year’s Eve ball drop, a “gargantuan” globe measuring 10 feet, 6 inches across, decked out with 30,000 synchronized LED lights. Allegan’s New Year's Eve Ball Drop starts at 8 p.m. at the riverfront. The event includes fire pits, hot drinks, live music and a silent disco.
- On Mackinac Island, there’s the New Year’s Eve Great Turtle Drop. The event begins at 11:50 p.m. when a festive, 70-pound fiberglass turtle is lowered from the top of the Lilac Tree Suites, a tradition signifying the new year on the island.
- The New Year's Fest of Kalamazoo begins at 6 p.m. downtown. The event will include magicians, ventriloquists, jugglers and 22 performances, plus a midnight ball drop and fireworks. Residents who want to celebrate in style can buy buttons for the city’s festival for $8.
- Marquette’s New Year's Eve Ball Drop kicks off downtown at 6 p.m. with a family and friends ball drop. Then the Ball Drop Bash and Block Party begins at 10 p.m. and the countdown starts at 11:45 p.m.
- Rather than dropping a ball at midnight, Alpena will raise a giant sphere wrapped in lights “celebrating Alpena’s location on the Sunrise Side of Michigan.” The first-ever downtown event will feature DJs from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., firepits for staying warm and “sunrise” food and drink specials at downtown bars and restaurants starting at 5 p.m. A firetruck in the parking lot behind Mango’s will lift the sphere.
- Rockin NYE 2025 in Wyandotte begins at 7 p.m. in the city’s downtown. Families will gather on the streets at 9 p.m.
- Revelers in Detroit and Grand Rapids can also find a variety of New Year’s Eve celebrations.
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