Communities ready to welcome 2023

Dec. 31—BLUEFIELD — Cities in Mercer County and McDowell County are set to be lively places on New Year's Eve with celebrations happening tonight in Princeton, Bluefield and Welch.

Princeton is bringing back the annual Downtown Countdown after a two-year absence due to COVID.

The 10th annual event is being organized by Lori McKinney who is with RiffRaff Arts Collective and the Princeton Renaissance Project.

It will begin at 8:30 p.m. and will have six stages of live indoor and outdoor performances and entertainment including music, comedy, circus performers, ice sculptors, live art demonstrations, a gaming theater, a disco arcade, kid's activities, a Pokemon Scavenger Hunt, horse and carriage rides, giveaways, food, games, and more.

It will all lead up to the countdown ball drop and fireworks at midnight.

"All Access Entertainment" passes that will allow guests access to all live performances and are $20, $15 for senior citizens, and kids 10 and under get in free, and general admission to the event is free.

The live entertainment venues include The Room Upstairs, Sophisticated Hound Brewing Company, Stages Music School, The Pigment Sanctuary in the back of Wild Roots Coffeehouse, and The Joke Joint.

Featured performers include The Wild Rumpus in The Room Upstairs; Paisley Cobra & Alloy Trio in Sophisticated Hound Brewing Company; Mama & The Ruckus in Stages Music School; Comedian Julie McCullough in The Comedy Joint; James Hart in The RiffRaff Art Boutique; HeadSpin Hoop Troop (outdoors); Ice Carver Shannon Gersumchik (outdoors); Live Painters of The Pigment Sanctuary in various locations; DJ/MC Doc Atwell on The Town Square Stage; Derian Mills and CassiRaye in Wild Roots Coffeehouse; Tim & Maggie Mainland (outdoors); and Jacob Brooks (outdoors).

As performances games, and activities will be happening in and around Dick Copeland Square, Mercer Street will be closed to traffic.

The event will be emceed ad hosted by Doc Atwell on the outside stage and Erica "EJ" Atwell will emcee The Room Upstairs.

McKinney said that in the event of inclement weather, they have arranged for tents for outdoor events and many of the events will take place in heated, indoor spaces.

For All Access Entertainment Pass tickets online at www.downtowncountdown.org, at the RiffRaff Arts Collective on Mercer Street, or at the gate on New Year's Eve.

In Bluefield, The Granada Theater and the city of Bluefield have joined forces for the New Year's Eve music and dance party celebration they have planned that leads up to the annual Lemon Drop.

The Granada, through a sponsorship from the Bluefield Arts and Revitalization Corp. (BARC), will be hosting Envision, a cover group that plays 60s, 70s, 80s, and contemporary top 40 hits today starting at 8:45 p.m. until 11:45 p.m.

The group previously played at The Granada in August and were praised by attendees after the show.

Food and a bar will be available, and after the party at The Granada, attendees can go out on Commerce Street and watch the Lemon Drop and fireworks at midnight.

Festivities for the Lemon Drop will begin at 11 p.m.

Tickets for Envision's music and dance party are $50 and can be purchased at bluefieldgranada.com.

In Welch, the holiday season will conclude today with the third annual CoalTown, USA Coal Drop to ring in the New Year at Martha Moore Park.

The event is family friendly, free of charge, and open to the public. The festivities will start at 9 pm and end at midnight with the Coal Drop and fireworks sponsored by the City of Welch to officially welcome 2023, organizers said Friday.

Other activities include street food vendors, karaoke and the chance to shop from local merchants selling handcrafted items and specialty products. The street blockade on McDowell Street in downtown will start at 7 p.m.

Since the establishment of McDowell County in 1858, the main source of income for its residents has been derived from the coal mining industry, organizers said. The population boomed during the 1950s and 1960s and reached more than 100,000 residents in the area. Despite its smaller footprint today, coal mining continues to drive industry and commerce in Welch and the New Year's Eve Coal Drop is another way to celebrate the future of CoalTown, USA, while also remembering the heritage that built Welch.

For those who cannot attend in person, but want to see the CoalTown, USA Coal Drop, it will be livestreamed at midnight on the City of Welch Facebook page and attendees are encouraged to tag @cityofwelchwv in their social media posts.

— Contact Kassidy Brown at kbrown@bdtonline.com.