Welcome the New Year in the Mid-Atlantic

A Sampling of First Night Events

                The countdown to happy New Year’s festivities has begun! Celebrate across the Mid-Atlantic with illuminating fireworks, dropping or raising of roses, pickles, strawberries, ducks and a giant Peep®. Family-focused events abound throughout the region with children’s activities, thrilling performers and scrumptious snacks to keep you toasty. We’ve done the legwork so you can relax and enjoy the best New Year’s celebrations in the Mid-Atlantic!

Delaware

Close out the old, ring in the new with nine hours of spirited family fun in Delaware’s State Capital’s historic district. Dover’s 2009 First Night Celebration starts at 3 PM with children’s activities- running till the final fireworks finale at midnight on Legislative Mall. For more information, visit www.firstnightdover.com. Kent County & Greater Dover, Delaware Convention and Visitors Bureau, Robin Coventry, (302) 734-1736, www.visitdover.com

First Night Wilmington is a delightful way to welcome the New Year. Festivities begin at 4:00 PM in Downtown Wilmington’s Rodney Square area. This fun-filled, family event includes marionette shows, dance performances, strolling entertainers, exciting bands and ice skating. The finale is a grand fireworks display at 10 PM. Greater Wilmington Convention & Visitors Bureau, Lyn Lewis, (302) 295-2212, www.VisitWilmingtonDE.com

Start the New Year with a splash in the Atlantic Ocean during “Leo Brady Exercise like the Eskimos” in Bethany Beach! The event, held every New Years Day, benefits the Quiet Resorts Charitable Foundation, which provides scholarships to local students and grants to area organizations. Splash if you dare! Southern Delaware Tourism, Aubrey Manzo, 302-856-1818, www.visitsoutherndelaware.com

Maryland

Fireworks, duck drops and harbor cruises - Maryland welcomes in the New Year with a variety of events ranging from a big city spectacular where thousands of people congregate to celebrate the turn of the calendar to local community gatherings where the emphasis is on family fun. Maryland Office of Tourism, Connie Yingling, (410) 767-6329, www.visitmaryland.org

Celebrate the arts and community when you bring 2010 into port with New Year’s Annapolis, a safe, fun, family event featuring musical entertainment, window performances, and interactive venues throughout the Historic District. Lace up your sneakers for the Last Run of the Year, and enjoy early evening and midnight fireworks displays. Annapolis & Anne Arundel County Conference and Visitors Bureau, 410-263-0511, MailScanner has detected a possible fraud attempt from "www.visitannapolis.orgg" claiming to be www.VisitAnnapolis.org

Join American rock band Little Feat for an eclectic New Year’s celebration at the Recher Theatre in Towson, MD www.rechertheatre.com. Start your evening at one of the area’s eateries from sushi and Italian to new American and fusion, Towson is a hotspot destination for entertainment and dining. Baltimore County Conference and Tourism, Jill Feinberg, (410) 296-4886 x 3, www.visitbacomd.com

Western Maryland’s Garrett County is hosting the 2009 Fur Ball benefitting Hart for Animals, Inc. at the Elks B.P.O. Lodge on New Year's Eve, 7 pm to 1 am. Not far away, the Honi-Honi Bar’s annual New Year’s Eve Celebration bash will take place from 9 pm – 1am. Details on both events are at www.visitdeepcreek.com. Garrett County Chamber of Commerce, Sarah Duck, 301-387-4386, www.visitdeepcreek.com

Pennsylvania

Everyone welcomes New Year’s Eve, but in Pennsylvania, it’s not enough to just party. Communities celebrate by dropping (or raising) unique items that show off each town’s personality. From a giant Lebanon bologna to a huge strawberry, no one drops more unusual items than Pennsylvania to ring in the New Year. Pennsylvania Tourism Office, Cara O’Donnell, 717-231-5342, MailScanner has detected a possible fraud attempt from "www.visitpa.comm" claiming to be www.visitpa.com

Historic Gettysburg wraps up the holiday season with a bang. Come downtown and enjoy a family-friendly environment of food, art, music, performances and lots of fun. Come join the celebration or attend any of Gettysburg’s many New Year’s Eve parties at our hotels and restaurants. Gettysburg Convention & Visitors Bureau, Carl Whitehill, 717-338-1055, www.gettysburg.travel

This year, partiers along the Delaware River in Philadelphia and Camden ring in 2010 with twice the fireworks and twice the fun. For the first time, dazzling shows will illuminate the night sky at 6:00 p.m. and 12:00 midnight. Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation Morgan Obidowski, 215- 599-2298, www.gophila.com

Get down with the Peeps® this New Year’s Eve in Bethlehem, Pa. at the newly created Peeps® Fest, December 30 - 31! Live musical performances, glassblowing demonstrations, ice sculptures, interactive displays, s’more making, shopping in the Just Born store and of course the giant Peep® falls at midnight. Lehigh Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau, Kim Lilly, 610-882-9200, www.LehighValleyPA.org

Spend a fun-filled New Year’s Eve in Lancaster County this year! Enjoy entertainment at over 25 warm, indoor sites in Downtown Lancaster, topped off with the ascension of the city’s famed red rose and a fireworks display. Or celebrate our sweetness with the dropping of a giant M&M in Elizabethtown. Pennsylvania Dutch Convention & Visitors Bureau, Joel Cliff, (717) 735-0311, www.padutchcountry.com

Visit York County, PA for fabulous festivities including New Year’s Revolution in historic downtown York with 40 entertainers in 20 venues, all-culminating with the White Rose drop at midnight! See a gigantic pickle plummet at the stroke of twelve in Dillsburg and witness an oversized cigar’s descent in Red Lion. York County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Alison Smolinski, 717-852-9675, www.yorkpa.org

Virginia

Celebrate New Years in style, Parisian
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