CANADENSIS - New Year's Eve is always a big deal for the resorts in the Poconos. For Skytop Lodge, the celebration dates back to 1928.
For eight decades, the New Year's Eve celebration at Skytop Lodge in Canadensis has kept true to tradition. At least, that's what Randy Misko says. He has worked at the lodge for the past 20 years.
"We have a balloon drop, which has been a tradition since forever," said Misko.
Paul Healy remembers that balloon drop from when he was a kid coming to Skytop's New Year's Eve celebration. That was back in the early 1960s.
"You'd hold your pin up and they'd drop the balloons. One balloon has a key for a basket of liquor. So, one year, my smart brother, he didn't go up, he went down. And, guess what, he wound up with the key," said Healy of Malvern.
While we were at Skytop Lodge, hotel staff was busy putting up those balloons. But, as for the key hidden inside, sorry to report that part of the tradition stopped a few years ago.
"We have been talking about reinstating that tradition maybe for next year, so stay tuned," said Kate Lewis, the Creative Director of Skytop Lodge.
The lobby of the hotel is where the New Year's Eve party takes place. Once the clock strikes midnight, the balloons will drop and all the guests will head into the dining area.
Inside the hotel kitchen, the chefs are busy preparing for the huge New Year's Eve buffet for guests after the balloons drop.
The food is another part of the celebration Paul Healy remembers from when he was little. Only, he knows there will likely be a few tweaks to the tradition.
"They used to have relish girls that came around in the 60s with the relish trays, with pickles, cucumbers, and they had the bread girls. She was here a couple of years ago," said Healy.
While Healy is right, that the relish and bread girls are a thing of the past, but should auld acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind?