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Hazleton chooses 'hope' for end of 2020

Hazleton's Mayor hopes an end of the year celebration will instill hope for people in and around the city.

HAZLETON, Pa. — Crews are paving the way on a culm bank for a New Year's Eve Celebration in Hazleton at City View Park as they set up a staging area for a fireworks display to end 2020.

"Time to reflect back on the things that happened in 2020. You know, conclude the year with something fun and exciting for everybody," said Mayor Jeff Cusat. "2020 was very strenuous on a lot of people, a lot of things were missed, a lot of activity activities that were planned had to be canceled. So this is just a way to give people an opportunity to enjoy something before the end of the year."

For Hazleton's Fourth of July celebration, there were food vendors and entertainment at the park too, but that won't be the case for New Year's Eve. 

Instead, it's just going to be fireworks, and people are invited to come in their cars to view them at the park or see them wherever they can be seen in the city.

"It was something we always talked about. We wanted to try to tie in the Christmas right into New Year's. So this year, you know, we did have our Winterfest for one day, and we have this event, and in the future, we would like to have the Winterfest like continue through December and with fireworks end it on New Year's Eve," said Cusat.

Cusat says he isn't trying to make light of the hardships 2020 put everyone through. He and the city are just trying to end the year on a positive note.

"You know a lot of people that were hurt, families, you know ripped apart by this, small businesses that are gonna struggle to survive, but you know you do need some form of hope and something to look forward to. So, it's an event that I think will be well-received," said Cusat.

The fireworks are scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on New Year's Eve. If it needs to be rescheduled because of the weather, that decision will come on Thursday afternoon.

RELATED: NYE celebrations will look different in Hazleton, Pottsville

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