Kinston rang in 2012, the 250th anniversary of its founding, with not one but two New Year’s Eve celebrations last year.
This year, things will be slightly more scaled down — but still fun.
“We’re not going to have two like we did last year,” said Bill Ellis, Kinston-Lenoir County Parks and Recreation director. “We’re just going to do it one time.”
The 2011 New Year’s Eve celebration at Pearson Park included a fireworks display at 7 p.m. for the “Olde Kingston New Year’s Eve” to mark the English observance of New Year’s Eve, and again at midnight for the U.S. East Coast observance.
The celebrations included live music, food and drink, including English-style tea and crumpets, and the raising of a metal model airplane with fireworks.
This year, the celebrations return to Pearson Park from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday, with live music from the Eastern North Carolina band TAZZ, and a New Year’s countdown at 9 p.m. followed by a fireworks show.
“We didn’t have a lot of people stay for the midnight celebration (last year), so we thought we’d just do it earlier this year,” Ellis said.
He said the earlier end time will allow families to “attend with their children and not stay out so late.”
The celebration is being put on by the Parks and Recreation Department and VisitKinston.
Jan Parson, director of VisitKinston, said the fireworks show “will be similar to the display that we have for our BBQ festival and the Fourth of July.”
Last year’s event was the first time in recent years the city had put on a New Year’s Eve bash, but Parson said such celebrations will be “an annual event for the city and for VisitKinston” in the future.
Parson stressed the celebration on the last day of the city’s 250th anniversary will not be related to the many anniversary events which took place during 2012.
“It’s simply to have a family event on New Year’s . . . and to bring more attention to our riverfront and all the things we can do to enjoy our parks on the river,” she said.
David Anderson can be reached at 252-559-1077 or David.Anderson@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter at DavidFreePress.
BREAKOUT BOX:
If you go …
What: Kinston New Year’s Eve celebration
When: 7-9 p.m. Monday
Where: Pearson Park
