Greeting 2018 in style: Fireworks show returns to downtown Albany on New Year’s Eve

ALBANY — For the first time in seven years, fireworks will give a loud, flashy greeting to the new year in downtown Albany.

It’s one of a number of celebrations associated with the turning of the calendar to 2018.

The event is set for Riverfront Park, and Downtown Albany officials anticipate it becoming an annual event. Music will be provided by DJ Dollar Bill, with the countdown event starting at 11 p.m. When the final 10 seconds of 2017 are ticked off, 2018 will be greeted with overhead volleys of fireworks.

Downtown officials say, however, that personal fireworks and firearms will not be allowed at the celebration. Also, the 11 p.m. curfew is being enforced, so anyone under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

Also on Sunday, the fifth annual New Year’s Eve Masquerade Ball is scheduled 9 p.m.-1 a.m. at Merry Acres Event Center, 1500 Dawson Road.

The Good Life Social Club’s annual masquerade ball includes live music by Meow Kapow, dancing, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. Spikey Van Dykey is host/emcee.

Tickets are $60, individual; $100, couple; $300, VIP package (admission for two to the ball, a room at Merry Acres Hotel, dinner for two at the Catch or Henry Campbell’s with shuttle service from the hotel, and breakfast for two at Merry Acres Restaurant). The website is www.albanymasquerade.com.

For little ones who can’t stay up quite that late — or wait for New Year’s Eve — the Lee County Library System is again greeting the “noon” year with its annual Noon Year’s Eve celebration for kids that gets underway at 11 a.m. at the Oakland Library off U.S. Highway 82.

Aimed at children, the event is being conducted a day earlier than normal because New Year’s Eve falls on a Sunday and the system’s libraries will be closed that day. Kids attending will engage in activities before balloons are released after the countdown to noon.

Meanwhile, up the highway 40 miles in Americus, a New Year’s Eve Bash & Dinner is set for 5 p.m.-1 a.m. at Best Western Plus Windsor Hotel.

Dinner and entertainment at Rosemary & Thyme Restaurant starts at 5 p.m. and continues until 10 p.m. for $50 per person, with a Lobby Party 9 p.m.-1 a.m. with music by the Lance Price Band. There’s a $10 cover for the party (no cover charge for Windsor guests or those dining at the restaurant). Overnight package at hotel (two dinners, entertainment, night’s stay) are $295. Contact (229) 924-1555 or visit www.windsor-americus.com for availability.

About 80 miles away in Valdosta, Wild Adventures Theme Park is wrapping up 2017 with a New Year’s Eve Fireworks Spectacular, including what’s being billed as the biggest New Year’s fireworks display in the South.

Festivities at Wild Adventures begin at noon Sunday, with an all-you-can-eat buffet served throughout the day. The festive favorites exclusive to 12 Foods of Christmas will also be available, including candied bacon and s’mores.

Guests are invited to set up their own chairs around the lake prior to dusk for the best viewing area. VIP Seating reservations will be available at a first-come, first-serve basis for additional purchase. The dance party begins at 6 p.m. The fireworks display, complete with an upbeat musical soundtrack, begins at 7 p.m., a time that park officials say is designed to be family-friendly.

The New Year’s Fireworks Celebration is included with park admission or a 2018 Season Pass. The park’s website is WildAdventures.com.

If you’re going to be out of town for New Year’s Eve, there are other celebrations in Georgia that may be near where you’ll be. Explore Georgia’s website lists seven unique events inside the Peach State:

— Perry New Year’s Eve Buzzard Drop: 7 p.m.-1 a.m., downtown square in the 800 block of Carroll Street in Perry. Each year, buzzards return to Perry in the fall and the city celebrates them New Year’s Eve, along with the arrival of the new year. The event features live entertainment with spirits sold on-site and the Buzzard Boogie dance contest.

— New Year’s Eve Shamrock Drop in Dublin: 8 p.m.-midnight, Jackson Street, downtown Dublin. Instead of a crystal ball, Dublin’s biggest street party has dancing and live music that leads to the Shamrock Drop, where a brilliantly lit shamrock descends from atop the historic Fred Roberts building.

— Savannah’s Up the Cup New Year’s Eve Celebration: Savannah always does things a little different. Instead of dropping an object to mark the new year, Savannah is raising a glass (or, more precisely, a 6-foot-tall to-go cup) to toast the new year at midnight. The event from 8 p.m.-1 a.m. on River Street includes music, entertainment and fireworks.

— New Year’s Eve Geranium Drop: Heading north, the city of McDonough will have its 7th annual Geranium Drop at midnight on McDonough Square downtown. The event starts at 8 p.m. with dancing, live music and food and drink ahead of the countdown.

— The Possum Drop: This event, which involved the venerated marsupial, can’t be contained in one evening, so Tallapoosa in Northwest Georgia is celebrating over two nights — 6 p.m.-10 p.m. Saturday and 6 p.m.-12:30 a.m. Sunday — with live entertainment, music, food and a Possum Drop kids zone. The Possum drops at midnight amid fireworks.

— The City of Villa Rica Gold Nugget Drop: Certainly shinier than a possum, Villa Rica’s event is set for 10 p.m.-12:15 a.m. at the Mill Amphitheatre. Live music before the Gold Nugget drops will be provided by tribute bands for Journey and Foreigner.

— Dropping of the Edelweiss: Moving to the northeastern section of the state, the Bavarian-style town of Helen will have its annual Dropping of the Edelweiss 8 p.m.-midnight at Helen Festhalle at 1074 Edelweiss Strasse. This is a paid-admission event — $15, adults and children over 12; $7.50, children 6-12 — that includes light hors d’oeuvres, party favors and a midnight champagne toast. An edelweiss, by the way, is a white flower found high in the Alps.