STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (WJAC) — One part of our region that goes all-out for New Years Eve is State College, with its First Night celebration.
It was quite the crowd downtown and quite the picturesque scene with all the string lights and the live music.
As we say "adieu" to '22 and "howdy" to '23, 6 News asked folks what their goals are for the new year.
"Oh my goodness, we've been doing this [for] over 30 years and we expect about 10,000 people here, so we're happy," Carolyn Donaldson, vice president of the Central PA Festival of the Arts, told 6 News on Saturday.
Each year, there's one big fixture: the ice sculptures.
"Well, we just got here, but we're amazed with the ice sculptures," Jennifer Hamer told us. "I mean, I think they're totally amazing."
The people behind these sculptures is the DiMartino family in Greensburg, PA.
Donaldson said that "they start back in pretty much late fall, and we pair them up with sponsors."
"And so, they create a lot of these in their warehouse back in Greensburg. Then, they ship 'em all out here, and then today, all-day, they've been carving the main ones that you saw here tonight."
There were over 60 of these ice sculptures scattered around downtown. You could find some giant ones along South Allen Street, as well as smaller ones in front of businesses sponsoring the event, which was organized by the Central PA Festival of the Arts.
Covid may be in the rearview mirror for a lot of people, but objects in the mirror are closer than they appear, making some value community events like this.
Hamer's husband, Clarence Lang, told us, "I just appreciate normalcy. So, we've been in Covid for some time, and even though we're coming out of it, it still feels like we're still recovering. So, anything that allows us to do the sort of things that bring us closer to where we were prior to that, is really delightful — at this time of year, especially."
Chiming in, Hamer, added, "I mean, there's something about the community, it just makes you feel at home. And I think we arrived right before Covid hit, and so every time we come downtown, it just makes us realize that this was the right place for us."
Many people will spend New Years Eve indoors watching television. However, this tradition spanning back decades seeks to bring folks together outside.
Donaldson explained that "this started back in the seventies, nationally and internationally, actually. And so, there were First Nights in a lot of places. It's a family-friendly alternative to that kind of drinking and partying scene. But as you can see, people are partying just in a fun way here."
One night left to party and to engage in activities you'll pledge to ditch when the calendar page turns. Well... that's assuming you have new years resolutions.
"I have a lot of things, you know, we'll hit the gym like everybody else," Jarcia Pruduennco said. "I'm not very into like, you know, one-month thing. Yeah, I try to keep everything like steady, like 12 months a year."
Lang said, "Probably more time for relaxing to balance out the amount of time that one spends working. I don't know if I'll be successful at that, but that's what-- that's the goal at least."
Ultimately, the most common answer from those 6 News talked with: was spending more time with loved ones.
"Through Covid, I think we learned what's important," Hamer said. "And so, my goal is simply to spend more time with family and stay focused on what's important and be happy. Focus on joy."
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