GREAT FALLS — The Times Square building in downtown Great Falls is preparing for a new year, and they’re bringing something new to the Electric City.
To celebrate the holidays and the community, Times Square is giving Great Falls its very own rendition of the New Year’s Eve ball drop.
The event page on Facebook says: "At the stroke of midnight, watch the ball drop from a 100-foot crane, designed and created by a local engineer that is sure to be a spectacular event!"
The event has been approved by the city and Times Square owner Tim Bass is thrilled to be able to organize an event like this and bring something different to downtown.
“I was sitting there thinking you know, what can I do to get people to come downtown and come into our building? And so with that in mind, I started thinking outside the box and started thinking about the Times Square in New York,” Bass said. “What would it take to create that same vibe, that same atmosphere, on our street? We’re really excited to be able to do that this year and bring more people downtown.”
There hasn’t been a ball drop done in Great Falls before, but that isn’t deterring Times Square tenants from the idea. The ball drop is expected to bring more patrons to downtown and that’s exactly what Times Square tenants have already been seeing is more people supporting local stores.
Carolyn Brown owns the Montana Mosaic store in Times Square and says she has seen increased business during the holidays and expects that trend to continue, especially with a ball drop taking place.
“What I’m hearing is we’re excited. We’re excited to see one, new people coming into the building and two, let’s see what it brings in for cliental and customers and something new and something different and I thought it was a really good idea,” Brown said. “Especially if it helps bring people into the people and let alone downtown, people are going to enjoy it.”
Along with the ball drop, Times Square will also be hosting a kickboxing event that will take place during the evening before the ball drops and the clock strikes midnight.
The event is free and open to all, and festivities begin at 8 p.m. on Friday, December 31, 2021.
You can visit the Times Square Facebook page for more info. The Times Square building is on the northwest corner of the intersection of Central Avenue and 5th Street.
