Photo: Madison Rogers/WBZ NewsRadio
BEVERLY, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — A North Shore holiday tradition has been called off.
Beverly Main Streets announced that it is canceling its annual New Year's Eve celebration this year due to dwindling attendance and a lack of funding and volunteers.
"Arriving at the decision to cancel Beverly’s New Year 2024 was a process that we did not take lightly," wrote Paul Gentile, Chairperson of the Beverly Main Streets Board of Directors, in a letter to the community. "Producing an event of this scope and magnitude requires a great deal of time, resources, and volunteer efforts. Over the past five years the event has seen a decrease in attendance and financial support, and it has also become increasingly difficult to find enough volunteers to safely and effectively manage the event."
The event was first hosted in 1994, bringing in thousands of spectators for live music, street performers, a papier-mâché parade, and a beach ball drop at midnight. It was scaled back in recent years as crowds plummeted, with the celebration canceled entirely in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We are open to bringing future Beverly’s New Year celebrations back, but it will require the proper funding and staffing to execute safely," Gentile wrote.
"When something goes away, it’s pretty difficult for it to come back," said Dick, a Beverly resident. "People don’t want to be out here on cold nights anymore. Everyone’s on their computers, everyone’s in their phones."
Gentile said Beverly Main Streets will hold Downtown Winter Market, a brand new event, on Dec. 8 and 9 to "drive support to our small business community."
WBZ's Madison Rogers (@MadisonWBZ) reports.
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