MARQUETTE — The city of Marquette is preparing to welcome in the New Year.

The 27th annual ball drop in downtown Marquette will take place Thursday night outside of the old Savings Bank building at Front and Washington Streets. The tradition brings out a large crowd to welcome in the new year.

“We have several thousand people that come to the downtown area,” said Marquette DDA Promotions Coordinator Tara Laase–McKinney, “Washington Street and Front Street are just jam–packed with people. It’s something that people grew up doing and now they bring their kids to and it’s a great tradition. It’s a wonderful place to spend your New Year’s. There’s a lot of great bars and restaurants in the downtown area that will be doing things for New Year’s.”

Workers at the Marquette DDA expressed their gratitude to JP Electric and the owners of the Savings Bank building for their volunteered time and efforts.

On Tuesday we’ll tell you about a fun way to bring in the new year ‘Yooper Style’ in Delta County.