SCRANTON –The countdown to the New Year is now just two days away!
With New Year’s Eve falling on a Saturday, restaurants and hotels in Scranton’s downtown are expecting business to be booming.
This Saturday, folks across Northeastern and central Pennsylvania will be celebrating on New Year`s Eve, waiting for the moment to say: “Happy New Year!”
So as the countdown to the big night winds down, what`s the big plan to ring in 2017?
“We`re still not sure as to what we`re doing. I wanted to stay local,” said Mary Jo Thomas from Hanover Township.
Well, if staying local means the Electric City, there`s plenty of things happening around downtown Scranton.
“It`s going to be extremely busy and we`re planning for it, we`re ready for it,” said Christopher Collins, the general manager of Kildare’s.
At Kildare`s, the staff has events planned for both Saturday and Sunday with New Year`s Eve falling on a weekend.
“Mimosas and Bloody Mary bar for the New Year`s Day,” said Collins. “But talking about the big night, it`s a $20 cover with mixed drinks from 10 p.m. to midnight, we have DJ Nell`s playing. The party starts at 9 p.m. so I would hope to get here early and then there’s open buffet.”
Over at the Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel, the night kicks off with a dinner at 5:30 p.m. then another at 8:30.
But this year there`s new attraction: a comedy show.
“It includes a four-hour open bar, premier food, tapas station, menu stations, carving stations and it`s a $100 per person,” said Ralph Delprete with the Radisson.
The Back Yard Ale House is ringing in the new year the way they always do.
“We`ve done this since we opened our doors, every year we do an all-inclusive package, it`s $69, you know, food, live music, open bar all night,” said Delprete.
Even though there`s a lot of offer out on the town, some say they`ll spend it at home with family and friends.
“We`re going to go to a friend`s house, we go there every year, there`s probably about 30 of us and we just have a good time,” said Jack Kuschmerick from Archbald.
There is one event that will not be taking place this New Year’s Eve in Scranton.
Organizers of the annual First Night Scranton said earlier this year they will no longer host the celebration in the Electric City.
Members said lack of volunteers and declining attendance led them to the decision.
Attempts failed to get another non-profit to run it.
First Night had been held for the last 16 years in Scranton
