![Downtown Countdown](https://www.goriverwalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/downtown-countdown.jpg)
The City of Fort Lauderdale is gearing up for the Fort Lauderdale Orange Bowl Downtown Countdown, the annual premier New Year’s Eve celebration. Touted as one of the largest New Year’s Eve celebrations in Florida, this year’s free street festival is full of fun and excitement for both children and adults. Revelers will crowd downtown Fort Lauderdale on Monday, December 31 from 4:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. along S.W. 2nd Street between S.W. 2nd and S.W. 5th Avenues to wait with anticipation for the midnight countdown.
The midnight countdown will feature Fort Lauderdale’s larger-than-life illuminated anchor. The anchor, which debuted in 2015, will descend down from 100 feet in the air above the event’s main stage as the final seconds of 2018 tick down and we usher in the New Year.
Downtown Countdown will feature a variety of activities for the whole family from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. including bounce houses, slides, face painting, games, contests, line dancing with DJ William Pennhouse, and free caricatures drawn by a team of talented sketch artists! Make sure to have your cameras ready to snap a selfie with special guest OBIE, the Orange Bowl Mascot, from 6 to 8 p.m.
The Kids Countdown takes place at 7 p.m. on the main stage at S.W. 2 Street and S.W. 5 Avenue, and will feature the lighting of the anchor. Once the anchor is illuminated, it will remain on, showcasing a variety of colors and effects until the countdown at midnight.
At 7:45 p.m., live music kicks off on the main stage (S.W. 2 Street and S.W. 5 Avenue).Big City Dogs takes the main stage with their classic rock and blues until 9 p.m. Then, Pocket Change treats partygoers to a wide range of music including funk, R&B, soul, Motown, and dance party music from 9:30 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.
Additional information available HERE.