TWIN FALLS, Idaho — As the countdown to midnight approaches, preparations are in full swing for the annual New Year’s ball drop in Twin Falls. A group of friends have volunteered to help set up for the festivities that help ring in the New Year.
"I am assisting Dave Woodhead in the yearly Twin Falls tradition of lowering the New Year’s ball," said Gene Sennello. "So far, I’m keeping out of the way, and I think that’s assisting him."
For 24 years, they've coordinated a ball drop for the countdown to midnight "Since 2000, I guess that’s the year that we opened the Lamphousethe first time," Dave Woodhead told Idaho News 6.
To guarantee everything runs flawlessly on New Year’s Eve, they hold a few practice drops, guaranteeing that they get the timing just right for lowering the large copper ball from the historic grain silos.
"I have the ball that I bought at an auction for no particular reason. I just thought it looked cool," Woodhead said. "And we had the silos ... I was a member of renewal and didn’t know quite what to do with the silos."
Located in what was once the industrial heart of Twin Falls, the historic grain silos now stand near several bars and clubs, highlighting some of the change that has taken place. "This whole area was kind of the industrial part of Twin Falls," Woodhead said.
The festivities at the Lamphouse will kick off with a live screening of the Fiesta Bowl on a big screen, followed by a free mystery movie.
And then the countdown begins.
"Oh, I like it a lot. Something to look forward to, and you know we do enjoy dropping a ball. Enjoy making a spectacle of ourselves, I guess," Dave said with a laugh.
