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Virginia Butler, Democrat and chronicler
It looks like 2020 won’t come out with a literal explosion in downtown Rochester, because the city has decided to give up holding a New Year’s Eve fireworks display.
“An outdoor event on the main street bridge in late December isn’t always so welcoming,” said city communications director Justin Roj.
For years, a 22-hour fireworks show culminated in a family-oriented New Year’s Eve celebration inside the Joseph A. Floreano Rochester Riverside Convention Center, 123 E. Main St. That free event (with a DJ dance party, a magician, clowns and more) will be held from 6 to 9 p.m., Dec. 31.
But this year, ROC Holiday Village, presented jointly with the city at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park, will be open on New Year’s Eve until 1 p.m. Roj said it makes no sense to host “something else” on the Main Street Bridge simultaneously.
For its 2018 debut, the village drew more than 100,000 to the park at 353 Court Street and was completed a week before New Year’s Eve on 23 December.
Last year, the city canceled the fireworks show and blamed frequent attendance. At the last minute, private donors stepped up to cover the $ 30,000 cost of the show. However, the screen turned off again due to a strong wind warning.