GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — It's almost the new year, and for many, this will be their first time to ring it with friends and family in over a year.
COVID canceled a lot of New Year's Eve events last year. Now, some are trying to make up for the lost time.
People are planning to ring the new year in with a bang.
"It's a pretty cool spectacle to see if you've never been seen fireworks indoors," Grand Rapids Griffins Director of Game Presentation Brandon Nelson said.
Many are lining up to see the Griffins and the annual fireworks show inside Van Andel Arena Friday night.
"So, we are expecting a sellout. But there are tickets available," Nelson told FOX 17.
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This is the Griffins' first New Year's Eve party since COVID-19 shut them down last year.
"Just hopefully provide people with good entertainment and a fun night out and kind of give them a sense of somewhat normalcy for a couple of hours of entertainment," Nelson added.
Like many West Michigan events, the show is still going on, despite the rise in COVID-19 numbers and a new variant spreading.
"Yeah, we highly encourage fans to wear masks and practice social distancing. And, obviously, we take our cues from, you know, not only local government but the state government, as well," he said.
Organizers are also making sure people feel safe when walking around the arena.
"We provide a lot of hand sanitizing, you know, there's a lot of things implement, the de arena has in place to sanitize kind of everything around," Nelson said.
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