NEW YORK â Rain drops fell along with confetti as revelers rang in 2019 in New Yorkâs Times Square, capping a soggy New Yearâs Eve celebration that included singer-songwriter Bebe Rexhaâs stirring rendition of John Lennonâs âImagineâ just before midnight.
Crews used squeegees to try to remove water from the stages, but New Kids On The Block still splashed up puddles late Monday while performing their hit âStep by Stepâ on a giant set of steps.
At midnight, fireworks erupted over Times Square, couples kissed, families hugged and âAuld Lang Syneâ played over loud speakers.
âIt was so awesome, itâs a once in a lifetime experience,â said Colleen Giambrone, 55, of New Jersey. âTotally worth it, rain and all. Itâs incredible.â
The Times Square party is always a marathon, with often cold temperatures, stringent security rules, hours-long waits and a lack of public toilets. But New Yorker Brie Dunn, 22, said being there âwas like a true state of pure bliss and unity and love.â
âIt felt like there was no hate in the world,â said Dunn. âThatâs what I hope for in 2019 and all the years to come.â
Spectator areas in and around Times Square started filling up late Monday morning.
As always, the celebration took place under tight security, with partygoers searched at checkpoints and herded into pens ringed by metal barricades.
Thousands of police officers patrolled with the help of bomb-sniffing dogs, 1,225 security cameras and 235 âblocker vehiclesâ used to stop potential vehicle attacks. The event went off safely, with no major disruptions, though the rain forced police to cancel plans to deploy a drone to help monitor the crowd.
Some people in the crowd kneeled on the soaked ground, with ponchos over their heads as puddles formed and they waited for performers, including Christina Aguilera, Snoop Dogg, Dan + Shay and Bastille.
Veterans of the celebration said the rain wasnât all that bad, considering last year was one of the coldest on record at 10 degrees Fahrenheit (-12 Celsius). This year, the temperature was about 47 degrees Fahrenheit (8 degrees Celsius) as midnight struck.
âWeâre troopers. We got this,â said Nyia Williamson, 41, a self-described New Kids On The âBlock Headâ who was at the party for the 11th time.
The biggest cheers early on were for event workers handing out foam hats and blue gloves. For the unprepared, staying dry meant ponying up. Vendors charged up to $10 for ponchos that ordinarily sell for $2.
As the soggy wait for midnight dragged on, some people in the crowd grew grim.
âIt was a massive mistake,â Peter Walsh, 24, said of his decision to attend, after hours spent in the gloom.
Justine Brenkel, 26, from Lyon, France, said being in Times Square on New Yearâs Eve was on her âbucket-list,â but the hours of waiting were turning it into a bit of a disappointment.
âWhen we watch it on TV, it looks so much fun, thereâs so much animation,â said Brenkel. âBut weâre waiting for the show to start.â
Moods lifted, though, as midnight approached.
The final 60-second countdown happened as a geodesic sphere â 12-feet (3.5-meters) in diameter, covered with 2,688 Waterford crystal triangles and lit by 32,256 LEDs â dropped down a pole. The numerals â2019â lit up at midnight accompanied by pyrotechnics and the release of 3,000 pounds of confetti.
Asked what theyâre looking forward to in 2019, revelers spoke of new jobs, getting married and spending more time with their families. One said heâd like to win the lottery.
Maryanne Clarke, 52, of Waterville, Ohio, said she was there to âcelebrate the possibility of 2019,â after a year in which she was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a round of chemotherapy. Clarke and her 14-year-old daughter, Shannon, joined the crowd in singing along as Rexha performed âImagineâ to close 2018.
âI bet we all want peace and harmony,â Clarke said. âI thought that was a perfect way into the new year.â