Each year Marquette’s Front Street is clouded by the warm breath of crowds of people braving the brisk Upper Peninsula winter to celebrate the crossover to a new year.
Hot chocolate is splashed on the ground as everyone feels the wave of anticipation and prepares for the countdown. At midnight the ball is dropped and the crowd erupts. It’s a tradition that the community savors.
This year Marquette’s New Year’s Eve Ball Drop is making a move to the Masonic Building on West Washington Street as Double Trouble Entertainment takes on the responsibility for the event.
According to Bill Digneit, co-owner of Double Trouble Entertainment, if they didn’t come forth to volunteer, Marquette would not be having a ball drop this year—an event that has been sponsored by JP Electric since 1988. The team at Double Trouble Entertainment recognized that the ball drop was an important tradition to the community and one that needed to be maintained.
“We didn’t want to see it lost. We didn’t want to see the tradition die,” Digneit said.
Digneit is enthusiastic about the changes they have planned for this year’s ball drop, particularly the upgrades being made to the ball itself which was in rough shape.
“We’re going to amp it up,” Digneit said.
The ball is being redesigned into a new, up-to-date structure with an added sound system and captivating lighting.
Digneit described it as having the potential to give the ball drop a “Times Square kind of feel.”
Along with the ball drop at midnight, Double Trouble Entertainment will be hosting a series of activities within the Masonic Building for the second year in a row. They are calling the event a “party with a purpose” as all proceeds will be benefiting the Ahmed Shrine and Marquette Junior Hockey.
Different rooms in the building will serve as backdrops for various lively entertainments including Dueling Pianos, 50/50 raffle, live bands, Double Trouble DJs, a photobooth, and a magician.
Double Trouble Entertainment aims to offer activities throughout the night that everyone can enjoy.
Tickets for the 2017 Ball Drop Bash are $10 per person and available at the Masonic Building, the Double Trouble Entertainment office located in Harvey and online.
The event is 21 years old and up. Your ticket will include one drink ticket and a champagne toast at midnight.
