Partygoers crowd Main Street for the 2023 New Year’s celebration in Auburn. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal file photo
AUBURN — If you plan to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Maine this year, Auburn will be a pretty good place to be.
While New Year’s Eve celebrations will be going down in clubs and other private venues across the region, Auburn appears to be one of a few cities taking on the role of party host itself.
And Auburn means to be a good host.
The 2024 New Year’s Auburn will light the skies with the city’s first aerial drone show Sunday night. The fifth annual event sponsored by Emerson Toyota will feature food, drink, music and more at the Festival Plaza on Main Street from 3-9 p.m.
“The City of Auburn is delighted to present our 5th annual New Year’s Auburn event,” said Liz Allen, the city’s director of communications. “We have built a legacy of fun, community, and celebration through our three signature events, and New Year’s is definitely a favorite. Thousands of people gathered in the heart of our beautiful city to ring in the new year makes this one of Maine’s largest and, we think, best parties of the year. You do not want to miss the live music, great food and drinks, and this year’s EPIC aerial drone show!”
The plaza will feature its signature beer garden and crescent of Maine breweries, which will include Lost Valley, Geary, Side By Each, Grateful Grain, Rusty Bus and Nonesuch River brewing companies and Gritty McDuff’s and Craft Brew Underground.
Lining the downtown section of Main Street will be food trucks including Burke’s Perks Café, Burnt Ends Barbeque, Casa Del Taco, Rollin’ in the Dough and Tripp’s Farmhouse Café.
The evening’s musical lineup includes local band ISH, four-time returning band Hello Newman and Grammy Award winner Dave Gutter.
Last year, the event boasted a crowd of over 3,000 even though rain was expected later in the evening. As a result of the forecast, scheduling moved back to a 3-9 p.m. event. The new time stuck.
National Weather Service in Gray promises a mostly sunny day Sunday with partial clouds rolling in into the evening. Temperatures will have a high of 37 degrees during the day and a low of 23 degrees in the evening.
Allen said the choice to go with a drone show is no slight against fireworks.
“Our team has been wanting to bring a drone show to our community for a while now,” she said. “We love fireworks and will continue to have them from time to time. But we are confident that folks will absolutely love this show. A drone show is not only a dazzling use of technology, but it’s also environmentally friendly; it won’t upset children, pets or those who may be sensitive to loud noise; it won’t disturb residents who live in the downtown; and really, it is just so cool. We are also proud and excited to be the first city in Maine to host a drone show. All of that, combined with incredible food, beverages and music = AWESOME.”
The city first launched the community street party during Auburn’s 150th anniversary celebration in 2019.
“And each year it just gets better and better,” Allen said. “We have built a reputation for exceptional events that feature top-notch music acts — this year we even have a Grammy Award-winning artist! With the support of our generous sponsors and participation from local food trucks, and large and small craft breweries from across Maine, New Year’s Auburn is a ‘don’t miss’ celebration.”
The city of Lewiston has no official celebrations lined up, although some local clubs do, including Sliders, Sonder & Dram and LA Harley.
Some cities and towns to the south have various events planned as the old year rolls into the new.
In Old Orchard Beach, The Last Blast New Year’s Eve Beach Party will take place on the beach starting at 4:30 p.m. Sunday. There will be a bonfire, marshmallow toasting pits, cotton candy, hot cocoa and kettle corn.
The Canopy Portland Waterfront hotel in Portland is hosting a New Year’s Eve party that will roam from one place to another. From 5-9 p.m., the party will be in the Salt Yard Cafe and Bar, appetizers, drink specials, a photo booth and music by The Middle Men. Then, from 8:30 until after midnight, the party moves upstairs to the Luna Rooftop Bar. There’ll be a Maker’s Mark pop-up in the Starlight lounge and music from a deejay.
Sunday River in Newry plans to see in the new year with a night ski and other events. The night will include a fireworks show at 8:30 p.m. followed by a 21-and-older party to official to ring in the new year.
According to the Maine State Fire Marshals Office, permits for fireworks have been issued for 10 locations around the state for New Year’s Eve. Among them, the Bethel Inn, which will have fireworks for their BAZINGA! New Year’s Eve show, and the town of Kingfield, which will have fireworks along the Carrabassett River on Main Street.
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