New Years Eve in Alamogordo includes a ball, a cold front and a fireworks usage reminder

Nicole Maxwell, Alamogordo Daily News
·3 min read

The City of Alamogordo is expected to hold its first New Year's Eve Ball to celebrate the coming year 2022.

The Black and White New Year's Eve Ball begins at 8 p.m. at the Sgt. Willie Estrada Memorial Civic Center on First Street.

"I've been wanting to do a New Year's Eve something but it was just one of those things that kind of evolved with the stars aligned and was able for us to put something on and do it with COVID-safe practices and still have a warm place to give people something to do on New Year's Eve in a safe place," City of Alamogordo Special Events and Keep Alamogordo Beautiful Manager Josh Sides said.

Happy New Year 2022.
Happy New Year 2022.

The ball will have COVID-19 health protocols in place. Social distancing of at least six feet between guests is required and masks are required for guests unless they are eating or drinking.

As of Dec. 28, about 100 tickets were sold. The ball has a capacity of 250 attendees, Sides said.

As of Dec. 28, the New Mexico Department of Health reported 9,095 positive COVID-19 cases, 143 death were attributed to COVID-19 and 8,082 reported COVID-19 recoveries since tracking began in March 2020.

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The New Mexico Department of Health also reports that 54.2% of Otero County residents are considered fully vaccinated as of Dec. 28.

There will be a cash bar, DJ Tweet-E providing music, a free glass of champagne food by SARAP Food Truck.

Designated drivers will get free non-alcoholic beverages.

The cost to attend the ball is $15 per person or $20 for a couple.

The weather for the holiday weekend is expected to be snowy in the higher elevations and rainy in the Tularosa Basin.

According to the National Weather Service-El Paso, rain chances begin overnight Dec. 30 and are expected to continue through 11 a.m. on New Year's Day in Alamogordo.

The City of Alamogordo held its Fourth of July fireworks display at Griggs Field on July 4, 2021. The fireworks were shot from the far east side of the field.
The City of Alamogordo held its Fourth of July fireworks display at Griggs Field on July 4, 2021. The fireworks were shot from the far east side of the field.

Further up the Sacramento Mountains in Cloudcroft, the snow is expected to come and go until overnight Dec. 30 into Dec. 31 when front arrives bringing snow until the evening of Jan. 1. The weather is expected to be clear and cold into the first week of 2022, according to the National Weather Service-El Paso.

More: Otero County reminds residents of fireworks restrictions

Even with precipitation expected through New Year's weekend, the City of Alamogordo reminds residents and those visiting that the City Fireworks Ordinance is still in effect.

The ordinance, as pertains to New Year's Eve, states that fireworks can be set off between Dec. 28 and Jan. 1.

"No fireworks shall be set off between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., with the exception of New Year's Eve (Dec. 31) where fireworks shall be permissible on Dec. 31 ending at 1 a.m. on Jan. 1."

Nicole Maxwell can be contacted by email at nmaxwell@alamogordonews.com, by phone at 575-415-6605 or on Twitter at @nicmaxreporter.

This article originally appeared on Alamogordo Daily News: New Years Eve includes a ball, a cold front and a fireworks reminder