MIAMI (WSVN) - Just hours away from 2017’s countdown to midnight, organizers across South Florida put the finishing touches on New Year’s celebrations.
7News cameras captured the iconic Big Orange, partly concealed by palm trees on the side of the InterContinental Hotel in Downtown Miami, Saturday night.
“We’re trying to figure out what the city has out here,” said Miami resident Noely Toribio.
Come Monday, the Big Orange, made up of 2,000 LED lights and 400 feet of neon, will complete its 400-foot climb, continuing a 32-year tradition.
“It’s our version of Times Square,” said Steve Carpenter with Mr. Neon.
“By raising the Orange, we hope to raise people’s hopes,” said City of Miami Mayor Francis Suarez.
The City of Miami has a jam-packed schedule set for New Year’s Eve.
Saturday night, crews at Bayfront Park could be seen testing equipment for a free concert headlined by Pitbull, as the 305 gets ready to usher in 2018.
“We’ve got to come support Mr. 305,” said Toribio. “Yes!”
“I’ve been wanting to see him,” said one woman.
Once the Big Orange rises, fireworks will cap off the big night.
The fun will kick off in Coconut Grove on Sunday with the 36th annual King Mango Strut. The parade will take over the streets and hundreds of spectators are expected to gather to laugh off the past year’s headlines.
At the Fontainebleau Miami Beach, pop icon Demi Lovato is set to perform by the pool to ring in the new year.
The City of Miami Beach announced road closures along Ocean Drive, Saturday, in anticipation of heavy holiday traffic. The iconic street will be shut down to vehicular traffic from 7 a.m., Saturday, to 9 a.m. Jan. 1, according to officials.
Fireworks on Ocean Drive can be viewed from Fifth Street to 15th Street, officials say, and the free Miami Beach Trolley will operate until 2 a.m. New Year’s Day.
“We’ve got some different effects that we’re putting in for the shows, a lot of assorted color effects” said Gary Avins with Fireworks Displays.
In Fort Lauderdale, crowds will watch a big anchor drop during the Orange Bowl Downtown Countdown. “It’s been a great tradition. We used to have the ball, and a couple years ago, one of our commissioners suggested an anchor, and it has become a huge hit,” said Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jack Seiler.
From Broward to Miami-Dade, officials want to make sure everyone has fun safely.
“We’ve added substantial additional police officers on the street. We’ve added additional security initiatives and enhancements throughout this area,” said Seiler.
The City of Miami Police Department has also increased security to make sure the event is safe.
“With the critical mass of people that we have here, we want to make sure – especially given the fact that certain things have happened throughout the country – that everyone can have a good time and get home safely,” said Suarez.
“Not only police officers that you will see in uniform, but we have plainclothes officers, we will have all of our special resources out,” said Miami Police Deputy Chief Ronald Papier. “To name a few, we’ll have our aviation unit, our helicopter, we’ll have marine patrol, we’ll have our K9 units, we’ll have SWAT, we’ll have officers out here on bicycle.”
Officials said transportation will be an issue, so it is recommended to use services like Uber, Lyft or old-fashioned taxis to get around.
“Come down. You guys are gonna have a blast,” said Miami reveler Joel Trujillo.
For more information on New Year festivities in the area, click here. To find out more details about New Year’s Eve traffic closures in Downtown Fort Lauderdale, click here.
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