After descending at midnight on New Year’s Eve in New York, the famous Times Square crystal ball will rise once again—this time glowing in red, white, and blue—to welcome 2026 and launch months of festivities marking the United States’ 250th anniversary.
This year’s New Year’s Eve celebration will include patriotic elements such as a second confetti release, offering a preview of the nationwide commemorations planned to honor the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Hundreds of events, both large and small, are expected across the country.
America250 Chair Rosie Rios, who leads the bipartisan commission established by Congress in 2016 to organize the semiquincentennial, said the celebrations will exceed expectations. She described the anniversary as a once-in-a-generation moment meant to inspire the nation and beyond.
Rios and her team partnered with the Times Square Alliance and One Times Square—the building from which the ball is dropped—to introduce this year’s ceremonial updates. They are also planning an additional ball drop on July 3, the night before Independence Day, staged in classic Times Square fashion.
According to Rios, it will be the first ball drop in Times Square not held on New Year’s Eve in more than a century.
The tradition of the Times Square ball drop dates back to 1907. The original ball, designed by immigrant metalworker Jacob Starr, weighed 700 pounds and featured 100 light bulbs. Over the years, the ball has evolved significantly. The latest version, unveiled last year, measures roughly 12 feet in diameter and weighs nearly 12,000 pounds.
The only interruptions to the ball drop occurred in 1942 and 1943, when New York City imposed nighttime blackouts during World War II. During those years, crowds marked the new year with silence followed by church bells.
Midnight this New Year’s Eve will also signal the official start of America Gives, a national volunteer initiative launched by America250, with organizers aiming to make 2026 the biggest year for volunteer participation in U.S. history.
On New Year’s Day, America250 will take part in the Rose Parade in Pasadena, California, with a float titled “Soaring Onward Together for 250 Years.” The float will feature three oversized bald eagles symbolizing the nation’s past, present, and future.
Rios said the celebrations are designed to connect communities across the country—from the East Coast to the West Coast and beyond—and to encourage grassroots involvement nationwide.
President Donald Trump has also announced a separate initiative, called “Freedom 250,” to organize additional activities tied to the anniversary.
Rios said the wide array of planned events—from fireworks and community meals to student competitions and oral history projects—aims to bring Americans together despite political divisions. By offering many ways to participate, she said, organizers hope to engage people across the entire nation.
