NEW YORK — As the iconic crystal ball descends in New York City’s Times Square to mark the New Year, it will soon ascend once again, adorned in red, white, and blue. This spectacle will signal the start of festivities for America’s 250th anniversary in 2026.
This year, the patriotic embellishments at Times Square, featuring an additional confetti shower, will provide a preview of the extensive celebrations planned. Across the nation, numerous events will commemorate the momentous signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776.
“Let me assure you, whatever you’re visualizing, the reality will surpass it,” stated Rosie Rios, Chair of America250. She leads the bipartisan commission established by Congress in 2016 to orchestrate the semiquincentennial festivities. “It’s destined to be a landmark celebration, perhaps the most inspiring this nation—and possibly the world—has ever witnessed.”
Rios and her team have collaborated with the Times Square Alliance and One Times Square, the building that traditionally hosts the ball drop, to introduce these enhancements. Another notable event is a second ball drop scheduled for July 3, the eve of the nation’s birthday, executed in the distinctive grand style for which Times Square is famous, Rios mentioned.
This will be a historic occasion, marking the first instance in 120 years of a ball drop in Times Square not occurring on New Year’s Eve, she added.
The tradition of the New Year’s Eve ball drop began in 1907 with a creation by a young immigrant metalworker, Jacob Starr. The original ball was a 700-pound (318-kilogram), 5-foot- (1.5-meter-) diameter structure crafted from iron and wood, illuminated by 100 25-watt light bulbs. Last year saw the introduction of the Constellation Ball, the ninth and largest version to date, measuring approximately 12 feet (3.7 meters) in diameter and tipping the scales at nearly 12,000 pounds (5,400 kilograms).
The only years when no ball drop occurred were 1942 and 1943, when the city instituted a nightly “dimout” during World War II to protect itself from attacks. Crowds instead celebrated the new year with a moment of silence followed by chimes rung from the base of One Times Square.
This year, the stroke of midnight will also mark the official launch of America Gives, a national service initiative created by America250. Organizers hope to make 2026 the largest year of volunteer hours ever aggregated in the country.
On the following day, America250 will participate in the New Years Day Rose Parade in Pasadena, California, with a float themed “Soaring Onward Together for 250 Years.” It will feature three larger-than-life bald eagles representing the country’s past, present and future.
“We want to ring in this new year from sea to shining sea. What better way to think about it than going from New York to California,” Rios said. “This has to be community-driven, this has be grassroots. We’re going from Guam to Alaska, from Fairbanks to Philadelphia, and everything in between.”
President Donald Trump has also announced the “Freedom 250” initiative to coordinate additional events for the 250th anniversary.
Rios said she sees the wide range of celebrations and programs planned for the coming months, from large fireworks displays and statewide potluck suppers to student contests and citizen oral histories, as an opportunity to unite a politically divided nation.
“If we can find something for everyone … having those menus of options that people can pick and choose how they want to participate,” she said. “That’s how we’re going to get to engaging 350 million Americans.”
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